Windows 11 Surges to 63% on Steam as Windows 10 Declines and 32‑Bit Ends

Windows on Steam just hit a new milestone: Windows 11 now accounts for 63.04% of Windows installations reported in Valve’s September 2025 Hardware & Software Survey, a sharp monthly gain as users accelerate moves away from Windows 10 ahead of its support sunset and Valve prepares to end support for 32‑bit Windows next year.

Background​

Valve’s monthly Steam Hardware & Software Survey is a unique window into the PC gaming population — not the broader installed base of Windows worldwide, but the hardware and OS mix among Steam users who opt into the anonymous survey. That gamer-centric sampling skews heavily toward relatively modern hardware and enthusiast configurations, which means Steam’s figures frequently lead global trends rather than simply follow them.
At the same time, Microsoft’s formal timeline for Windows 10’s end of support — October 14, 2025 — has compressed upgrade planning for millions of users and IT departments. Microsoft has published guidance urging moves to Windows 11, or signing up for limited Extended Security Updates (ESU) programs where appropriate.

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What the Steam survey actually reported​

The Steam survey for September 2025 shows several headline items worth pausing on:

• Windows 11 (64‑bit): 63.04% (+2.65 points month‑over‑month). This is an all‑time high for Windows 11 on Steam and represents a clear acceleration in adoption among gamers.
• Windows 10 (64‑bit): 32.18% (-2.90 points). The veteran OS is still holding a substantial share on Steam, but it’s declining rapidly as users upgrade or buy new hardware.
• Windows 2022 64‑bit: 0.09% (a minor appearance in the “other” space). Windows 7 remains visible at 0.07% on Steam’s panel.
• Platform mix: Overall, 95.4% of Steam users report using Windows machines; Linux 2.68%; macOS 1.91% — a reminder Steam’s footprint is overwhelmingly Windows‑centric.

On hardware, Steam’s September snapshot also highlighted:

• The laptop variant of the Nvidia RTX 4060 as the single most common GPU among survey respondents (4.63%), with desktop RTX 3060 and RTX 3050 close behind. Nvidia remains dominant with ~74.12% of detected GPUs; AMD accounts for 17.81% and Intel for 7.71% on Steam machines.
• CPU split: Intel ~57.68%, AMD ~42.32%. Memory: 16 GB configuration remains the most common (41.76%). Storage and display numbers skew toward 250 GB primary drives and 1080p panels respectively.

These numbers are granular and useful for game developers and hardware makers because Steam’s survey captures a concentrated community that tends to push the envelope on upgrades — but they are not a one‑to‑one reflection of the global installed base of Windows on all PCs.

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How Steam’s picture compares to global market trackers​

Public trackers that measure OS use via web traffic, like Statcounter, show more conservative Windows 11 penetration across all desktop devices compared with Steam’s gaming‑only sample. Statcounter’s rolling figures for 2025 show Windows 11 has crossed critical thresholds in several months but remains lower than Steam’s gamer numbers, reflecting the longer lifecycle of productivity PCs and large corporate fleets that delay or postpone upgrades.
Notable divergences worth calling out:

• Steam’s 63% Windows 11 figure refers specifically to Steam users who participated in the survey in September 2025; Statcounter and other analytics firms gather broader web traffic and desktop telemetry which includes enterprise machines, kiosks, embedded use, and legacy hardware. Those broader samples usually show Windows 11 in the 40–52% range during mid‑2025 depending on the month and the firm’s methodology.
• Statcounter and other sources have also reported anomalous short‑term spikes — for example, an apparent uptick in Windows 7 usage in some months — that are likely artifacts of sampling, bot traffic, or changes in data pipelines rather than a mass migration back to an unsupported OS. Those anomalies demand caution before being treated as real recovery trends.

In short: Steam’s data is authoritative for gamers, but cross‑referencing with global trackers is essential before extrapolating to the entire Windows ecosystem.

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Why this migration is accelerating now​

Three forces are pushing the rapid movement from Windows 10 to Windows 11 — especially among Steam’s user base:

• End of support pressure. Microsoft’s public lifecycle calendar makes October 14, 2025 the clear deadline for security and feature updates on most Windows 10 SKU variants, creating a firm cutover date many users and organizations are using to prioritize upgrades or replacements.
• New hardware purchases. Many PC buyers in 2024–2025 purchased machines with Windows 11 preinstalled. When gamers refresh laptops or desktops for new GPUs or CPU generations, they often arrive with Windows 11, which quickly raises that platform’s share on Steam. Steam’s hardware survey reflects this consumer replacement cadence.
• Manufacturer and developer support for 64‑bit modern stacks. Modern drivers, OS subsystems, and game engines increasingly target 64‑bit Windows. Valve’s own decision to end support for 32‑bit Windows—effectively ending the last 32‑bit Windows footprint on Steam in January 2026 — indicates how the ecosystem is consolidating around 64‑bit platforms.

Taken together, those forces create a strong incentive for hobbyists and prosumers — the bulk of Steam’s respondents — to move sooner rather than later.

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Valve’s 32‑bit cutoff: what it means and who it affects​

Valve has announced that Steam will stop supporting 32‑bit versions of Windows on January 1, 2026. The company’s reasoning is technical: modern Steam client features and the underlying libraries and drivers it relies on are no longer consistently maintained for 32‑bit Windows environments. Valve says existing Steam installations on 32‑bit systems may continue to run for the near term but will receive no updates or support after the cutoff.
Practical implications:

• The direct impact is tiny — Valve reports only about 0.01% of Steam users run 32‑bit Windows. For the overwhelming majority of gamers this change is invisible.
• The indirect impact is greater for owners of older netbooks, embedded devices, or single‑board PCs that are still running 32‑bit Windows 10. Those machines may be unable to receive updated Steam clients, meaning new security fixes and features won’t be pushed to them.
• Developers and preservationists who maintain older 32‑bit titles will still be able to target 32‑bit in‑game builds for 64‑bit systems, but Steam’s client tooling and QA pipelines will move onward into a purely 64‑bit world. That changes how developers test compatibility for truly legacy environments.

This move aligns with industry-wide phases out of 32‑bit support, and it’s a practical signal to users still clinging to 32‑bit installs that an upgrade path is now necessary to remain on modern update channels.

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The security and policy angle: Microsoft, ESU, and regional variations​

Microsoft’s official guidance and lifecycle calendar make clear that October 14, 2025 is the end‑of‑support cutoff for Windows 10 for mainstream updates; after that date, continuing to run Windows 10 without an extended support arrangement carries increased security risk. Microsoft has positioned Windows 11 as the recommended migration path and outlined ESU options for customers that need more time.
There were important regional policy updates in 2025: under pressure from European consumer bodies and regulators, Microsoft adjusted the consumer ESU terms in the European Economic Area, offering a free ESU path in the EEA under certain conditions. Outside the EEA, Microsoft’s ESU fee arrangements or data‑sharing requirements may still apply for some consumers. These regional differences matter: a consumer in the EU may get a free one‑year ESU path that a U.S. consumer would have to pay for or meet different conditions to receive. Those nuances are already shaping upgrade decisions in different markets.
Policy takeaway: the end of free mainstream updates is real, but the practical options vary by region and by whether the user is a consumer or an enterprise.

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The curious case of Windows 7 metrics and sampling anomalies​

Multiple trackers reported short, sharp increases in Windows 7 metrics in some late‑2025 feeds. This story received attention because it appeared — superficially — as a “resurgence” of a long‑retired OS. Closer inspection suggests the jump is likely a sampling artifact, possibly caused by bot traffic, localized data collection shifts, or measurement changes at a single analytics vendor.

• Web‑based market trackers are valuable, but they are not immune to noise. A sudden rise from ~2% to near‑double figures in a single month is more plausibly explained by sampling variance than a true mass migration back to Windows 7, especially given Windows 7’s security posture and the lack of vendor support. Treat dramatic month‑to‑month swings in web‑analytics OS numbers with skepticism and look for corroboration across multiple tracking firms before concluding a genuine trend.

For journalists, system administrators, and fleet managers, the lesson is to triangulate: use Steam’s gamer data for gaming‑segment insight, Statcounter or other global trackers for broad consumer trends, and enterprise telemetry (SCCM, Intune, internal inventories) for corporate realities.

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Hardware snapshot: what Steam users actually run​

Steam’s dataset is also a trove for hardware trends that matter to gamers and PC vendors:

• GPU market: Nvidia’s dominance remains pronounced among Steam users — ~74% market share — with the laptop RTX 4060 topping the list in September at 4.63%. Desktop RTX 3060 and RTX 3050 configurations are also highly prevalent. These numbers reflect the mid‑range GPU class that dominates current gaming upgrades and prebuilt systems.
• Memory and CPU: 16 GB RAM remains the default sweet spot for gamers; 6‑core processors are the most common CPU class on Steam machines, reflecting the balance between cost and performance for modern titles. Intel holds a moderate lead in CPU share on Steam, but AMD’s presence is substantial (roughly 42% in Steam’s September slice).
• Storage and displays: 250 GB primary drives and 1080p displays dominate Steam PCs — again signaling the large installed base of mid‑tier gaming laptops and desktops among survey respondents.

These hardware signals matter to developers and PC vendors: they affect performance tuning, minimum spec choices, testing matrices, and supply chain decisions for GPUs and CPUs.

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Strengths revealed by the shift — and the risks​

Strengths

• Faster security posture for gamers: Windows 11’s higher deployment rate among gamers reduces the population vulnerable to unsupported OS exploits within the gaming community. That’s meaningful because gaming platforms often serve as vectors for malware, cheat tools, and other threats.
• Modern driver and feature support: Consolidation on 64‑bit Windows simplifies development and QA for Valve, game developers, and hardware vendors. It means forward progress on features (e.g., modern low‑overhead drivers, improved DirectX support) without shackles to legacy 32‑bit APIs.
• Market clarity for vendors: Clear end‑of‑life dates and platform targets (64‑bit Windows 11) give OEMs and ISVs a firmer planning horizon for driver releases and product roadmaps.

Risks and tradeoffs

• Left‑behind users and devices: Significant numbers of consumer and business devices won’t be eligible for Windows 11 due to hardware requirements (e.g., TPM 2.0, supported CPU lists). Those users face a stark choice: pay for ESU, buy new hardware, or run unsupported systems. Each option carries financial, security, and environmental consequences.
• Enterprise migration complexity: Large fleets require application testing, driver vetting, and staged rollouts. The calendar pressure created by the October 14 deadline could lead to rushed migrations or extended dual‑support windows that increase operational costs.
• E‑waste and cost: The upgrade push can accelerate hardware replacement cycles, driving e‑waste and costs for consumers and organizations. That has social and environmental implications that remain under‑addressed at scale.
• Potential data‑protection and policy frictions: The regional differences in ESU terms and Microsoft’s earlier proposals around backup and Microsoft Account ties raised privacy concerns in some markets; these policy wrinkles can complicate a uniform migration strategy. Changes in policy (for example, free ESU in the EEA under certain conditions) mitigate some issues but create a patchwork of different user experiences by geography.

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Practical migration checklist — steps for gamers and IT admins​

For individual gamers (simple, prioritized steps):

• Check Windows 11 compatibility with Microsoft’s PC Health Check or Settings > Update & Security > Upgrade prompt.
• Back up games, save files, and important system data to an external drive or cloud prior to any upgrade.
• Confirm Steam and third‑party anti‑cheat compatibility with Windows 11 for key titles.
• For users on 32‑bit Windows: plan to move to a 64‑bit build before January 1, 2026, or expect the Steam client to stop receiving updates.

For IT admins (enterprise checklist):

• Inventory devices and map Windows 11 eligibility; segment by hardware capability, business criticality, and app compatibility.
• Prioritize migrations for user groups that handle sensitive data or external connectivity first.
• Test key applications and drivers on Windows 11 in a staged environment; consider a phased SCCM/Intune rollout.
• Evaluate ESU options where hardware replacement is infeasible, noting regional differences in cost and eligibility.

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Broader industry implications​

This period represents a tectonic consolidation toward 64‑bit Windows and Windows 11 as the default modern desktop platform. For major stakeholders:

• Microsoft gains momentum toward its newer OS posture, but it must balance customer goodwill and regulatory friction as it phases out Windows 10 support and differentiates ESU policy by region.
• Valve and PC gaming ecosystem benefit from clearer development baselines (64‑bit only Steam client and growing Windows 11 install base), enabling tighter integration of features like updated anti‑cheat infrastructure and browser components in Steam’s client.
• Hardware vendors and GPU makers should continue to optimize for the mid‑range GPU market where the most Steam users reside, but they also need to prepare for incremental shifts in the enthusiast segment as new GPU architectures land. Nvidia’s clear share lead on Steam suggests continued performance and driver focus on that install base.
• Preservationists and legacy users face harder choices. Archivists running vintage titles in authentic 32‑bit Windows environments will need to lean on virtualization, dedicated preservation hardware, or community projects to keep old experiences accessible once official client support wanes.

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Cautions and things that remain uncertain​

• Short‑term monthly swings in analytics should be read with care; single‑source month‑over‑month jumps are unreliable indicators of long‑term behavior without corroboration. That is particularly true of unusual spikes in unsupported OS usage metrics.
• The real cost of migration — in money, time, and environmental impact — will be distributed unevenly across geographies and customer segments. Policy shifts like the EEA ESU concession reduce friction for some users but leave others with paywalls or data‑sharing tradeoffs. That policy instability injects uncertainty into vendor and consumer planning.
• Valve’s announced change ending support for 32‑bit Windows is clear in intent and timing, but the operational reality — how many legacy features effectively break post‑cutoff, how long existing clients will keep functioning, and how quickly communities adapt — will play out over quarters, not days.

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Conclusion​

Steam’s September 2025 survey is a vivid snapshot of a gaming ecosystem that has decisively moved toward Windows 11 and 64‑bit platforms. The 63.04% share for Windows 11 on Steam underscores two simultaneous dynamics: an organic migration driven by device refresh cycles and Valve’s own step to retire 32‑bit support, plus external calendar pressure from Microsoft’s Windows 10 end‑of‑support deadline on October 14, 2025.
For gamers, the road ahead is mostly about ensuring an easy, supported upgrade path — or, for the small fraction on truly legacy hardware, planning for alternatives like virtualization. For enterprises and policymakers, the moment underlines the complexity of migration at scale, where security deadlines, regional policy changes, and hardware eligibility intersect.
The broader story is not purely numeric: it is a transition in the computing stack — a shift from legacy compatibility toward a modern, 64‑bit, security‑first platform that simplifies development and enables new features, while also creating genuine short‑term costs and choices for users and organizations who are not able, or ready, to move immediately. The Steam numbers are one clear indicator of that shift, but they are one piece of a larger migration puzzle that will continue to unfold over the next year.

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Source: Neowin Windows 11 gets to new all-time high on Steam as users leave Windows 10 behind