Steam Deck adoption pushes Linux over Mac

It has been about a year and a half since the Steam Deck launched. The Linux-powered PC gaming handheld is consistently a top seller on Steam but until now, Windows and Mac remained as the two most-used operating systems amongst Steam gamers. Now, that has finally changed, with Linux overtaking Mac for the first time. 

According to the July 2023 Steam Hardware & Software survey, Linux is now used by 1.96 percent of users on Steam, a 0.52% gain, putting it ahead of Mac, which currently sits at 1.84 percent. Windows of course still dominates, with different versions of the OS accounting for 96.21 percent of all users.

Of all the versions of Linux in use, Arch Linux 64-bit is the most used on Steam. This is the distro that SteamOS is based on, so a good chunk of this recent adoption can be tied directly to Steam Deck sales.

We're still a long way from Linux becoming a dominant platform, but if Valve continues to make the Steam Deck, including upgraded versions in the future, then we may see this momentum continue.

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KitGuru Says: While there are more powerful PC gaming handhelds at this point, many of them are Windows-based and still need plenty of work on the user experience side of things. Meanwhile, the Steam Deck's Steam browser and general setup offers a better base level for users to jump in. For that reason, I expect the Steam Deck to continue to be the most popular of the handhelds. 

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