Windows 10 64-bit is now used by 36.97 percent of Steam users, jumping Windows 7’s 64-bit version for the fist time. This means Windows 10 64-bit is the OS of a plurality of Steam gamers for the first time.
The stat was revealed in Steam’s March 2016 hardware and software survey, which outlines a number of stats related to gamer’s machines. For example, 4GB is the most common amount of RAM to have; 1,920 x 1,080 is the most common resolution. It’s a treasure trove of information just about any month, but this month it’s the operating system stats that stand out.
This is, in part, because of how different the stats are from the general PC-using population. NetMarketShare shows Windows 7 as being by far the most common OS on the market, with 51.89 percent in March. Windows 10 is trailing at a distant 14.15 percent.
So why are the Steam numbers so different? For one thing, PC gamers tend to be early adopters, buying the latest processors, hard drives, and especially graphics cards way before the rest of the population. Apparently that trend also extends to downloading the latest operating system.
It’s also worth noting that, with a few exceptions, most gamers don’t install Steam on their work computers. Windows 10 adoptions has been slower in the enterprise market, as is typical for new operating systems. Adaptation of a free operating system is going to be faster on home computers, where individuals can make the choice to upgrade without having to run it by IT first.
Windows 10 doesn’t actually have a majority share here. The results look different if you combine 64 and 32 bit versions of the operating system: 39.96 percent of users prefer some form of Windows 7 to some form of Windows 10.
But Microsoft’s lastest OS grew by 2.97 percent last month, and there are plenty of months left in year of free upgrades.
Whatever happens, the results show that, despite some gamer’s apprehension, a number of Steam users are embracing Microsoft’s free upgrade and switching to Windows 10. Gamers have had some complaints with Windows 10, mostly related to the Windows Store, but that’s apparently not stopping Steam users from making the switch.
The numbers also outlined Mac and Linux systems, though the totals are tiny by comparison. The highest rated version of Mac OS X, by contrast, saw only a 1.31 percent user share; OS X combined for a total of 3.32 percent of Steam users. All Linux systems combined add up to 0.85 percent of Steam users, which is less than half of Windows XP.
Want to learn more? Check out the complete results here.
Related Posts
The rise of adaptive displays: How Lenovo is redefining productivity & play
"If you look at the history of displays, they have always been passive surfaces that simply rendered whatever the device sent to them," says George Toh, Vice President and General Manager of Lenovo’s Visual Business Unit. "What is changing now is that screens are becoming adaptive interfaces that react to what the user is doing in real time.”
Here’s what happened to your Gmail inbox over the weekend
Gmail features a sorting system that automatically moves fluff like newsletters, promos, and non-urgent updates into separate tabs, keeping your Primary inbox clean and focused on what matters. On Saturday morning, this system stopped working as expected. Instead of organizing emails, Gmail dumped all incoming emails into the main inbox, and some users even saw warnings that certain emails had not been scanned for spam.
Your iPhone’s Siri upgrade may be tied to iOS 26.4
The upgrade is supposed to move Siri past simple voice commands and generic answers. The assistant should be able to draw on personal data and what’s on your screen to complete tasks, which is the kind of everyday help Apple has promised for years.