Linux gaming continues its steady climb on Steam, reaching 3.2% market share in November 2025, according to the latest Steam Hardware Survey. The 0.15% monthly increase marks a significant milestone for the platform, which spent years hovering between 1% and 2% before finally breaking the 3% barrier in October. For context, Linux sat at just 2.03% one year ago and 0.98% a decade ago in November 2015.
The growth is largely driven by Steam Deck adoption and Valve's Steam Play (Proton) compatibility layer, which has dramatically expanded the library of playable titles on Linux. SteamOS Holo, the Arch-based operating system powering the Steam Deck, dominates the Linux gaming landscape, followed by Ubuntu and other Arch Linux derivatives. The upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame devices are expected to further accelerate adoption as Valve expands its hardware lineup.
AMD processors now power nearly 70% of Linux gaming systems, a direct result of the Steam Deck's AMD APU. This stands in sharp contrast to Windows, where AMD holds approximately 42% CPU market share. While 3.2% may seem modest compared to Windows' dominance, the trajectory suggests Linux gaming is finally establishing itself as a viable platform after years of marginal growth.