The popularity of Windows 11 among PC gamers exceeds that of Windows 10

According to Steam's August hardware survey, Windows 11 has apparently overtaken Windows 10 in popularity among PC gamers, achieving a use rate of 49%. While Windows 10 decreased to 47%, this represents a 3% rise over July. The change demonstrates how more gamers are using Microsoft's most recent operating system.

Despite Microsoft's plans to end support for Windows 10 in October 2025, the older version had maintained a strong presence among PC gamers until recently. According to Steam's hardware survey data for August, Windows 11 usage has risen to 49%, marking an increase of over 3% from July's figure of nearly 46%.

In contrast, Windows 10 usage has seen a decline of approximately 3%, dropping to 47%. The usage rates for macOS and Linux on Steam have remained largely unchanged during this period.

Beyond the gaming community, Windows 11 has also seen a steady rise in usage across the web over the past year. As per StatCounter, in July 2023, Windows 11 held a market share of approximately 23%, which has now grown to nearly 32% in August this year. This indicates a broader acceptance and adoption of the new OS among general users as well.

Leaked data from October last year, revealed that over 400 million devices were using Windows 11 at the time. However, this represents a slower adoption rate compared to Windows 10, which reached the same number of active devices within a year of its launch. The slower uptake of Windows 11 is partially attributed to its stricter upgrade eligibility criteria, which includes mandatory hardware requirements like a TPM security chip and CPUs released from 2018 onward.

Despite being offered as a free upgrade to Windows 10 users, many were unable to make the switch due to Microsoft's hardware requirements for Windows 11. This contrasts with the transition from Windows 7 and Windows 8 to Windows 10, which did not impose such strict hardware restrictions, allowing millions of users to upgrade without needing new devices.