Linux has never been more popular on Steam. The system now far exceeds macOS and passes the 5% milestone for the first time.
The growth of GNU/Linux as an alternative to Windows for gamers continues to impress. Month after month, particularly since the end of Windows support, the free and open source system is eating up market share.
Obviously, the system still remains marginal, but this constant growth pushes more and more developers to adapt their games or fix bugs on Linux.
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In March 2026, Linux reached a new milestone on Steam by exceeding 5%.
Twice as many players as on Mac
According to figures from the Steam Survey, PCs running Linux now occupy 5% of the gaming PC fleet, and are gaining +3.10% in a few weeks.
What is also impressive is the score of Linux against macOS. Despite all the money invested by Apple to make its MacBooks gaming machines, they only occupy 2.35% of the machines connected to Steam. This is half as much as Linux.
In both cases, we are far from the 92% occupied by Windows, but the latter is the only one to record a decrease of -4%.
The GamingOnLinux site records the growth of Linux month after month, which allows us to see the acceleration since the launch of the Steam Deck and in particular throughout 2025.
This disenchantment with Windows can be explained by the performance problems encountered by the system, Microsoft’s investment in AI, or even the search for alternatives to the American giants. It’s not for nothing that Microsoft is in the middle of a mea culpa operation to try to repair Windows 11 and its brand image.
