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PC gamers are flocking to Windows 11, new Steam survey says

Monica J. White
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According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey, more PC gamers are switching to using Windows 11. Although Windows 10 continues to top the charts, it’s slowly losing users to Microsoft’s newer operating system, as Windows 11 now compromises over a third of all operating systems in Steam’s monthly survey.

It’s happy news for Microsoft as Windows 11 continues to inch forward in the Steam Hardware Survey. While the survey doesn’t include the software and hardware utilized by each and every gamer on the platform, it still shows us some significant averages. Microsoft has continued to push Windows 11 for new PCs, and the latest survey from Steam suggests that the effort is working.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Alienware 34 QD-OLED.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although Windows 10 came out almost eight years ago, it continues to rule the platform, and the difference between the older and newer versions of the OS is still significant. The survey shows that 62.33% of participants use Windows 10, followed by 32.06% who now use Windows 11.

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However, the numbers are slowly shifting in the favor of Windows 11 — it gained 1.73% new users in the last month. Meanwhile, the share of Windows 10 dropped by 1.13%. At this rate, it will take a while for Windows 11 to finally take over, but it’s bound to happen eventually. Microsoft continues to support Windows 10, but it has stopped selling new licenses.

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Those who still prefer Windows 10 still have a bit more time before Microsoft completely bids it farewell. The software giant is said to be supporting Windows 10 until at least October 14, 2025, which is listed as the official retirement date for the OS. However, there’s no doubt that Microsoft hopes users will switch sooner rather than later, as it continues packing new features into Windows 11. A recent Windows 11 update added Microsoft’s Bing Chat into the taskbar search, further integrating the chatbot into its ecosystem.

Valve conducts the Steam Survey once a month. There usually aren’t any big changes, but a slow and steady rise of specific components can be seen. Not too long ago, we saw Nvidia’s GTX 1060 finally stop being the most popular graphics card among Steam users, which is a position it held for several years.

It was replaced by the GTX 1650, which continues to hold the top spot, although the RTX 3060 is on an upward trend, especially in its laptop form. Nvidia’s best graphics cards from the latest 40-series are far, far behind the more budget alternatives, with the RTX 4090 leading the charge with a mere 0.30%.

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Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
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