Windows 11 has reached a new peak among PC gamers on Steam, widening the gap with its predecessor as Valve’s November 2025 Hardware & Software Survey shows the newest Microsoft desktop OS running on roughly two-thirds of Steam clients — while Linux quietly posts its highest share ever on the platform and NVIDIA’s midrange laptop silicon sits atop the GPU leaderboard.
Background / Overview
Valve’s monthly Steam Hardware & Software Survey is a voluntary snapshot of the Steam user base that tracks operating systems, GPUs, CPU families, memory, and other platform details. In the November 2025 iteration, Windows 11 (64‑bit) recorded a notable increase and now represents the majority of Steam installs. At the same time, Windows 10 (64‑bit) continues its steady decline as Microsoft’s support lifecycle for that OS has ended, prompting many users to upgrade, but leaving a meaningful holdout behind.This monthly snapshot matters because the Steam audience is gamer‑heavy and hardware‑forward: gamers buy new components more often than the broader PC population, and they drive trends that affect game testing, anti‑cheat systems, driver development, and OEM configurations. Still, the survey is not a census of all desktops; it’s a gamer‑centric sample and should be interpreted as such.
The Headlines: What November’s Survey Reports
Operating system share — the topline
- Windows 11 (64‑bit): ~65.6%, up strongly month‑over‑month and the largest single‑month movement among mainstream OSes in recent surveys.
- Windows 10 (64‑bit): ~29.1%, continuing to slide as end‑of‑support pressures and migration incentives take effect.
- Linux (all distributions): ~3.2%, a new all‑time high on Steam for the open‑source platform.
- macOS: ~2.0%, a small decline in Steam’s macOS footprint.
GPU and hardware trends
- The RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the most‑reported individual GPU in Steam’s November tables at just over 4.2%, narrowly ahead of the desktop RTX 3060 (~4.16%).
- The RTX 3050 remains a common entry‑level choice (~2.96%).
- NVIDIA continues to dominate discrete GPU reporting among Steam users, with AMD and Intel trailing in market share inside the Steam sample.
Why Windows 11 is Rising — A Closer Look
Windows 11’s momentum on Steam is driven by a mix of product, policy, and market forces:- End of Windows 10 support created an upgrade deadline and practical urgency. With mainstream security updates ending, many users either upgraded their OS or bought new hardware that ships with Windows 11.
- OEM refresh cycles have shifted new laptop and desktop shipments to Windows 11 by default; popular new gaming notebooks with RTX 40‑series internals pushed laptop GPU SKUs — and Windows 11 — higher in the sample.
- Gaming‑oriented features such as DirectStorage, Auto HDR, and ongoing scheduler optimizations give Windows 11 tangible technical talking points that developers and some users find compelling.
- Early‑adopter bias inside Steam: the Steam sample over‑indexes toward gamers who buy new hardware more often, making Windows 11 adoption appear faster on Steam than it might in general desktop telemetry.
Linux’s Quiet Milestone — What’s New
Linux’s share on Steam rose to about 3.2%, a small absolute number but the highest Steam has recorded for Linux in years. That increase is meaningful for several reasons:- The Steam Deck and other handhelds continue to expand the Linux‑based install base because they run a Linux distribution by default; their presence appears in Steam’s Linux totals.
- Proton and compatibility improvements have made many Windows titles playable on Linux, lowering the friction for gamers who want to leave Windows or try a dual‑boot/SteamOS setup.
- Some users and communities reacted to the Windows 10 end‑of‑support and Windows 11 hardware requirements by evaluating alternatives; for a minority, Linux became the viable option.
The Caveats: What the Steam Survey Does — and Doesn’t — Tell Us
It is essential to read the Steam survey with the right expectations.- The survey is opt‑in and gamer‑centric. It overrepresents enthusiasts and fresh hardware and underrepresents older, less upgrade‑prone systems.
- Regional and retail channel differences can skew GPU model prevalence — a laptop refresh cycle in one quarter can bump a laptop GPU SKU to the top.
- The Steam panel is not a substitute for enterprise or global OS telemetry. For example, corporate fleets and many older consumer PCs are not reflected proportionally.
- Small percentage moves in high‑sample populations translate to millions of devices, but the absolute impact on cross‑industry markets should be interpreted alongside OEM shipment data and official vendor telemetry.
What This Means for Different Stakeholders
For gamers and buyers
- If you value the latest gaming features (DirectStorage, Auto HDR) and security updates, upgrading to Windows 11 or buying Windows 11‑shipping hardware makes sense.
- If your machine is older and not eligible for Windows 11 without hardware changes, evaluate alternatives:
- Buy a modern PC or laptop that ships with Windows 11.
- Consider Extended Security Updates as a short bridge where available.
- Explore Linux if your game list is Proton‑friendly and you’re comfortable troubleshooting.
- GPU buyers: midrange NVIDIA cards remain the common choice among Steam users — excellent value for 1080p/1440p — but watch pricing and supply; laptop GPU trends matter if you prefer mobility.
For game developers and QA teams
- The data confirm a bifurcated landscape: while most players are on Windows 11, a nontrivial tail remains on Windows 10. Support and testing matrices should continue to include Windows 10 for compatibility and anti‑cheat behavior testing.
- Plan for anti‑cheat evolution: if more users migrate to Linux or alternate platforms, expect pressure to support new anti‑cheat paradigms or provide Linux‑friendly fallbacks.
- Hardware targeting should prioritize midrange GPU configurations, which represent the largest slice of the player base.
For enterprises and IT teams
- Steam’s gamer sample is not an enterprise telemetry source, but the strategy signal is clear: Windows 10’s retirement increases the security and compliance risk for organizations that delay migration.
- Enterprises should:
- Audit installed bases now.
- Prioritize critical systems for migration or compensating controls.
- Budget for hardware refresh where Windows 11 compatibility is required.
For OEMs and retailers
- Upper‑midrange laptop refreshes and bundled configurations that default to Windows 11 will continue to shape the Steam sample. OEMs should align supply and marketing to that demand while helping buyers understand upgrade costs and compatibility.
Security and Compliance Implications
The end of Windows 10 support changes the security calculus:- No mainstream security updates means systems left on Windows 10 are increasingly vulnerable over time unless enrolled in Extended Security Update (ESU) programs or otherwise compensated via network segmentation and endpoint protections.
- Consumers can sometimes obtain temporary ESU options or device‑linked remediation paths, but enterprise customers must adopt formal migration plans to maintain compliance in regulated environments.
- The migration curve is political as well as technical: hardware eligibility limitations for Windows 11 (TPM, Secure Boot, CPU generation) mean many users face real hardware costs to upgrade, which will prolong the Windows 10 tail and create persistent support obligations for software vendors.
Practical Recommendations — A Short Action Plan
- For gaming PCs eligible for Windows 11: perform a compatibility check and upgrade path now — preserve a recovery image and back up data prior to migration.
- For older machines: test whether a lightweight Linux distro with Proton covers your gaming needs before committing to a full hardware upgrade.
- For developers: continue to QA on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 for at least the next 12 months; document anti‑cheat and driver behaviors across versions.
- For IT architects: map Windows 10 devices, prioritize migration by risk/business impact, and budget for hardware refreshes where necessary.
The Hardware Picture — Interpreting the GPU Rankings
The top GPU slots on Steam in November 2025 are dominated by practical midrange parts rather than bleeding‑edge flagships. The most common GPUs (including laptop variants) show that:- Many gamers opt for price‑to‑performance balance over pure top‑of‑line silicon.
- Laptop GPU SKUs can front‑run desktop SKUs in monthly tables when major OEM laptop shipments hit the channel — explaining the high position of an RTX 4060 Laptop SKU.
- The relative shares of NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel inside the Steam sample reflect both discrete GPU economics and integrated graphics prevalence; NVIDIA’s installed base among gamers remains large, but AMD’s CPU gains and occasional GPU gains complicate the market narrative.
Longer‑Term Outlook: What to Watch in the Next 6–12 Months
- Windows 11 adoption among gamers will likely continue to climb, but the pace will slow as the low‑hanging upgrade pool diminishes.
- Linux growth will be steady but gradual — expect incremental gains driven by handheld devices, Proton improvements, and niche communities, rather than wholesale migration away from Windows.
- GPU rankings will wobble with OEM laptop cycles and pricing promotions. New GPU generations and supply improvements could reshape the midrange dominance in future surveys.
- Game developers, anti‑cheat vendors, and driver teams should prepare for a multi‑platform, multi‑OS reality for some time: shipping modern features while maintaining compatibility and security for older but still‑relevant systems.
Strengths and Risks — A Critical Appraisal
Notable strengths revealed by the data
- The Steam sample shows a clear, measurable migration to Windows 11 in a usership that matters for gaming.
- Hardware trends point to a healthy midrange market, enabling developers to target a large, reachable player set without demanding top‑tier silicon.
- Linux’s growth, however small, is consistent and supported by clear drivers (handhelds, Proton), indicating an expanding ecosystem for non‑Windows gaming experiences.
Potential risks and blind spots
- Overreliance on Steam’s numbers to project broader desktop OS market share risks miscalculation; enterprise, education, and low‑upgrade segments behave differently.
- Windows 10 inertia remains substantial; nearly one‑third of Steam gamers remaining on Windows 10 in November underscores that support lifecycles do not produce instant mass migrations.
- Anti‑cheat and kernel‑level compatibility create friction for alternative OS adoption; this is a systemic constraint that will temper Linux’s ability to attract competitive multiplayer players.
Conclusion
Valve’s November 2025 survey presents a clear story for the PC‑gaming world: Windows 11 is now the majority OS on Steam, reaching a new high as Windows 10 declines after its support sunset. NVIDIA’s midrange laptop silicon leads the GPU list, while Linux posts its best survey showing yet — a reminder that small but meaningful shifts can compound over time. For gamers, developers, IT teams, and OEMs, the takeaways are practical and immediate: plan for a bifurcated installed base, prioritize security and compatibility workstreams, and watch hardware cycles carefully when sizing audiences.The Steam Hardware & Software Survey will continue to be a vital, timely signal for the gaming sector. Its numbers do not tell the whole market story by themselves, but when read alongside OEM and vendor telemetry they explain where gamers are investing, what platforms they prefer, and how quickly the ecosystem is adapting to the post‑Windows‑10 world. The next few months will show whether Linux’s incremental gains accelerate and how rapidly the last Windows 10 holdouts migrate — developments that will matter for testing, support, and the economics of PC gaming going forward.
Source: Windows Report Windows 11 Climbs a New High on Steam; Valve's November Survey Reveals
