The Steam Deck’s popularity has meant Linux is the second biggest OS for Steam
Take that, Mac!
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Linux is now the second biggestoperating systemforSteamowing to the popularity of Valve’s Steam Deck handheld PC, overtaking Mac OS.
TheSteam Deck’s continued dominance in the PC gaming industry shows no signs of slowing down. As one of thebest handheld game consoles, its popularity has meant that Linux is now the second most popular OS for Steam. A recentSteam Hardware & Software Surveyhas confirmed that Linux now accounts for 1.96% of Steam’s user base (a 0.52% rise) as opposed to Mac OSX’s 1.84%.According to Ars Technica, a total of 42% of the Linux figure can be accounted to SteamOS Holo, which powers the portable PC.
While the vast majority of Steam users are Windows-based, with a total of 96.21% across all versions ofMicrosoft’s OS, this is the biggest development made with Linux’s adoption yet. The climbing rate isn’t surprising when considering that Steam OS, which the Steam Deck uses, is Linux-based. It also means that Valve is continuing to further its homegrown software on its own hardware, too.
Steam OS was launched way back in December 2013 as a way to streamline the user experience purely for gaming. As free software, unlike Windows, it meant having a lightweight and streamlined operating system to get you into games faster. A key advantage of it is how it takes the console experience on PC to the living room, just like the Big Picture mode the client offers. Now the software has taken on a second life on the company’s handheld PC line, proving that it can work and be desirable, just not on desktops, it seems.
It remains to be seen whether the pace can be maintained as more people adopt a Steam Deck into their gaming setups. The Steam Deck is estimated to sell around 3 million units worldwide by the end of 2023, with a total of 1.6 million systems shipped by April of this year(via Gamesindustry.biz).
Gear up for the Steam Deck with one of thebest Xbox controllersfor the best docked experience and one of thebest gaming monitorsto take the action to the big screen.
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Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.
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