PC gamers still prefer Windows 10 over Windows 11

By Kunal Khullar Published August 5, 2024

A man stands in front of a gaming PC. — Nvidia

Windows 11 saw a decline in the latest Steam hardware and software survey for July 2024. According to Valve’s data, gamers using Microsoft’s newer operating system dropped below the 46% threshold. Currently, Windows 11 accounts for approximately 45.81% of all Windows users on Steam, marking a decrease of 0.82% from the previous month.

In contrast, Windows 10 experienced an increase of 0.74%, reaching a 50.16% share. Although gaming performance is generally similar on both operating systems, a recent test by Hardware Unboxed reveals that Windows 10 may offer better performance in certain titles due to the core isolation feature, where memory integrity is enabled by default on Windows 11.

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Microsoft is expected to stop providing technical support, security updates, and feature updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Windows 11 will likely overtake Windows 10 long before that happens.

A list of the most popular operating systems as per the Steam hardware and software survey July 2024. — Valve

Despite Valve’s discontinuation of support for Steam on Windows 7 and 8/8.1, the client still functions on these older operating systems, allowing them to maintain a minor presence on the platform.

The report indicates that 0.41% of all Windows users on Steam are on 64-bit Windows 7, showing a slight increase of 0.01%, while 0.08% are on 64-bit Windows 8.1. Linux holds a 2.08% share, and macOS users represent 1.37%, reflecting a minor increase of 0.06 %. The most popular Linux distributions on Steam are Arch Linux (0.17%), Linux Mint 21.3 (0.11%), and Ubuntu 22.04 (0.08%).

A list of the most popular GPUs as per the Steam hardware and software survey July 2024. — Valve

In terms of GPUs, Nvidia maintains a strong position with its RTX 3060 leading the charts with a 5.71% share, followed by the GTX 1650 at 3.88% and the RTX 3060 Ti at 3.47%. Nvidia is reportedly discontinuing the RTX 3060, as board partners have been informed that the upcoming order will be the last for this model.

While Nvidia hasn’t officially confirmed the discontinuation, it seems logical given the card’s 2021 release date and declining sales amid newer alternatives. It is expected that the RTX 4060 will soon take its place, considering the card is now the fifth-most-popular GPU on the list.

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Computing Writer

Kunal Khullar is a computing writer at Digital Trends who contributes to various topics, including CPUs, GPUs, monitors, and…

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