Bazzite triples its userbase in 8 months as gamers seek a Windows alternative
Bazzite triples its userbase in 8 months as gamers seek a Windows alternative
Publish Date: 2026-02-27 00:20:00
Source Domain: www.xda-developers.com
Summary
- Bazzite users jumped from ~20,000 to 68,200 in eight months, more than tripling.
- Bazzite runs many games via Proton, making Linux a viable gaming alternative to Windows.
- Adoption spiked around Oct 2025 after Windows 10 EOL and handheld demos.
People have begun to wake up to the idea that, in some situations, installing a gaming-oriented Linux distro will give you a better experience than Windows 11. Once pinned as the one operating system you don’t want to use if you care about gaming, Linux has since come leaps and bounds with tech like Proton that allows games to run on the FOSS operating system without the game’s developers lifting a finger.
Bazzite is one of the more common recommendations for people who want to move away from Windows. It’s a top-tier choice for both desktops and handhelds, and we’ve seen people replace Windows 11 on both to move away from Microsoft’s ecosystem. In fact, the official Bazzite website is reporting that it has over tripled the number of users it had this time in June 2025, so they’re clearly doing something right.
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