Microsoft has recently become the most valuable company in the world based on its massive investment in generative AI. That technology has yet to prove itself, but things are looking up for one of Microsoft’s most important established products. The good news comes in the latest Steam survey, which shows Windows 11 is now the most popular platform for gaming PCs. It took almost three years for the new OS to squeak past Windows 10.
The data from Steam’s August survey shows that Windows 11 has continued its slow climb, reaching 49.17% of Steam-connected machines. That’s about 3% higher than in July, a larger gain than Windows 11 has traditionally seen. With virtually every new PC on the market running Windows 11, this trend should continue accelerating.
Don’t hang the “Mission Accomplished” banner quite yet, though. Windows 11 might be in the lead here, but Windows 10 is still on the board with 47.09% of gaming PCs. That’s a lot for an OS barely one year away from end-of-life. Windows 10 has lost about the same 3% that Windows 11 gained in the new survey. The usage of Linux and macOS on Steam has remained constant (and very low).
Microsoft has offered free upgrades for all its modern Windows updates, aiming to get as many users as possible on the latest OS to avoid a Windows XP scenario. It was so difficult to dislodge legacy XP users that Microsoft had to support the OS for years longer than it planned. However, the Windows 11 upgrade came with hardware restrictions that hampered upgrades for many users. Add the increasingly invasive cloud features in Windows 11, and you have a recipe for sluggish adoption.
Credit: Valve
Gamers are a bellwether for computing as their chosen hobby necessitates frequent, expensive upgrades. These folks are more likely to have the necessary hardware for a Windows 11 upgrade. So, the rate of Windows 11 usage is naturally higher. Among the general computing public, things are looking much worse for Microsoft’s latest OS. According to StatCounter, Windows 10 has more than twice the market share of Windows 11, at 31.63% vs. 64.14%.
Microsoft currently plans to end update support for Windows 10 in October 2025. Ten years of software support isn’t bad, but the slow uptake of Windows 11 could be a problem come next year. Microsoft plans to allow businesses to pay for premium extended support as it always has, but for the first time, consumers will also be able to pay for extended support. However, most Windows 10 users didn’t pay directly for their OS license, and paying for updates after the fact might not sit right.
We may be looking at a situation where millions of Windows 10 users refuse to pony up for patches, allowing their systems to become increasingly insecure. This could force Microsoft to treat Windows 10 like the new XP, but Microsoft made its proverbial bed on this one.