Windows' Gaming Dominance: Top PC Gaming OSs
Windows continues to hold an overwhelming majority of the PC gaming market, though Linux has seen notable growth, particularly driven by Valve's Steam Deck.
The top 3
- Windows' Overwhelming Market Share in PC Gaming: Windows maintained a dominant 93.67% share of systems in Valve's July 2026 Steam Hardware & Software Survey, with Windows 11 alone accounting for 70.97% of gaming rigs.
- The Leading Alternative OS for PC Gaming: Linux's market share on Steam reached 4.01% in July 2026, with a record high of 5.33% in March 2026, largely driven by the Steam Deck and Proton compatibility layer.
- How macOS Compares in the PC Gaming Landscape: macOS held a 2.32% share of Steam machines in July 2026, significantly trailing its broader global desktop OS market share of 14.58% in June 2026.
Sources
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