Monday, September 2nd 2024

Steam Survey August 2024 Update: Windows 11 Crosses 50% Share, Blows Past Windows 10

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (74 Comments)
The latest Steam hardware and software survey reveals a significant shift in the gamer's operating system landscape, with Windows 11 gaining 3.36% among Windows OSes and finally surpassing the 50% mark in August 2024, now standing at 50.81%. This milestone is a notable achievement, considering the OS had been experiencing a decline in popularity just a month prior. The sudden surge in Windows 11 adoption can be attributed to users transitioning from Windows 10, which lost 3.29% of its user base in the same period. Additionally, a few users on older Windows versions, such as 8.1 and 7, have also switched to Windows 11.

Despite Windows 11's growing popularity, Windows 10 remains a formidable presence, with 48.66% of Steam users still preferring the older OS. Its success can be attributed to its stability and compatibility with a wide range of games and hardware. Many users have expressed concerns over Windows 11's performance and its stringent hardware requirements, which have made it less accessible for some gamers, especially those without the TPM 2.0-enhanced system. However, with Microsoft set to discontinue security updates and technical support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, users will need to consider upgrading to Windows 11 or another supported OS in the near future. The periodical resurgence of Windows 10 suggests that some users are hesitant to give up the older OS, but the writing is on the wall. As the deadline for Windows 10 support approaches, more users will likely make the transition to Windows 11.
Source: via Tom's Hardware

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74 Comments on Steam Survey August 2024 Update: Windows 11 Crosses 50% Share, Blows Past Windows 10

#26
64K
RuruThose can be bypassed?

edit: My 6700K is also "incompatible" but with a TPM module it installs and works perfectly fine on that system.
Yes, but put yourself in the shoes of the average Joe. They have no idea where to even begin with something like that. The hardware issue is just another reason for the resistance to Win 11. That is what is showing in the Steam Survey for years and from what I've seen the resistance to move to Win 11 is the reason why even this late in the life on Win 10 nearly 2/3rd of users overall are still on Win 10.
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#27
yfn_ratchet
DavenAgain I cannot stress enough that this data is not high enough quality to be a news article. Look at the increase in Chinese users. Every single time there is a significant change in CPU, GPU, OS, etc. there is an equivalent change in the language for Simplified Chinese. This is not a coincidence but simply a big data dump out of China with no useful analytics to be gained from that data. If I were to guess, a bunch of new game data farms are accessing Steam with new generic system builds using Windows, Intel and Nvidia.

Those little spikes in the GPU and CPU graphs are each accompanied by a spike in Simplified Chinese of the exact same percentage.
I raised an eyebrow at this and checked, and yeah, the jump is almost the same. In fact, Simplified Chinese makes up the majority of used language in the Hardware Survey, suggesting that a significant amount of this data applies to the Chinese market which year over year expands. It's probably no coincidence that Chinese games are gaining more recognition with the release of Black Myth: Wukong. My guess is that there's like 5 bajillion Intel Core i5-12400F + Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 prebuilts or somesuch flooding the charts there. Would also explain the CPU base clocks settling right in between 2.3 and 2.69 GHz.

Besides that, there's also the fact that the average consumer buying a new device is going to be stuck with Windows 11 OOTB, and they won't care to roll back to Win10 or god forbid use Linux. That would account for the increased 'popularity' as well.
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#28
Darmok N Jalad
phintsUsing Windows 11 now on my home built gaming/work PC and work laptop. It's not perfect but easily the best OS Microsoft has ever made. For a few reasons I noticed: faster Ryzen gaming performace now, file explorer has tabs (finally!), supports all compression formats by default now, much nicer UI, much nicer animations on my 165Hz VRR, terminal is a solid CLI now. WSL2 works well enough too for a built-in Linux distro. Very fast and mostly modern looking OS overall.

Here the things I did for anyone doing a clean install of Win11:
  1. Right click on taskbar, settings, hide/disable the 4 junk items at the top
  2. Install all Windows updates, reboot
  3. Install chipset drivers, reboot
  4. Install GPU drivers, reboot
  5. If you game, disable memory integrity as per: support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/options-to-optimize-gaming-performance-in-windows-11-a255f612-2949-4373-a566-ff6f3f474613
  6. Regedit, add key: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer DisableSearchBoxSuggestions 1
Done, great overall OS with that. I dualboot Linux too btw but that's another convo.
I have several random issues with W11, but one of the weirdest is the delay in generating UI elements. Sometimes it's not noticeable, other times it's subtle, sometimes it's substantial. For example, one time I opened calculator and the window popped up, but it took a solid 3-4 seconds for the actual calculator elements to appear. I've had the PC wake to show my working desktop for a second before showing the lock screen, I've had the window buttons appear as boxes before. This isn't some custom machine, it's a work PC, presumably on more stable code branches. It just always feels like they cobbled stuff together and hit "publish."
RuruThose can be bypassed?

edit: My 6700K is also "incompatible" but with a TPM module it installs and works perfectly fine on that system.
Yes, and I have successfully bypassed them on my Ivy Bridge E system. The OS works just fine, which is what makes the artificial caps on system requirements so absurd. I can somewhat understand MS's desire to stop supporting old hardware, but there are lots of people who can't or won't work the bypasses into an installer. In 5 years, there will still be a lot of W10 users out there because of this. Most people I know actually hate the constant updates to their devices, so they'll probably be happier when MS stops tinkering with W10, but we'll just have to see how insecure things get once MS pulls the plug.
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#29
Vayra86
FoulOnWhiteSo more people switching to win 11, imo i don't think its that bad with a debloat and offline setup(no M$ account)
Steam's just exaggerating my N=1 here

I didn't even fill the survey! (explicitly said no so I can maintain these surveys don't tell you a goddamn thing about actual market shares ;))


Could this be a side effect of the existence and proliferating knowledge of there being accessible LTSC versions? 24H2 is a pretty good thing to settle on and gamers catch on quick
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#30
Easy Rhino
Linux Advocate
Dumb. M$ is forcing people onto an inferior OS with ads and bloatware.
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#31
R-T-B
DavenThis is not a coincidence but simply a big data dump out of China with no useful analytics to be gained from that data. If I were to guess, a bunch of new game data farms are accessing Steam with new generic system builds using Windows, Intel and Nvidia.
Yeah, it couldn't be that a huge title based in Chinese mythology launched just recently. Keep in mind Chinas consumer market is growing and is a part of the global picture, like it or not.
ViperXZHow can it be incompatible if it has a tpm module? That’s about the only “special” thing windows 11 needs.
It's technically not a supported CPU.
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#32
Vario
Waiting on a good version of 11 LTSC I think. Don't recall if its available.
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#33
R-T-B
VarioWaiting on a good version of 11 LTSC I think. Don't recall if its available.
There is one out but availability for consumers is pretty gray market.
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#34
FoulOnWhite
R-T-BThere is one out but availability for consumers is pretty gray market.
It is. getting a copy is possible, but activating it is the difficulty. It's not as easy as for retail, just buying a key. I'd love to try it, but need to make sure it's kinda "legal"
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#35
R-T-B
FoulOnWhiteIt is. getting a copy is possible, but activating it is the difficulty. It's not as easy as for retail, just buying a key. I'd love to try it, but need to make sure it's kinda "legal"
Hence what I said. By availability I meant "getting a key." Anyone can run the trial iso.

My copy is legit through my business but holy shit you'd best have a bulk order ready. Fortunately our 10 workstations were just justifiable.
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#36
Easy Rhino
Linux Advocate
VarioWaiting on a good version of 11 LTSC I think. Don't recall if its available.
Why?
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#37
lexluthermiester
Key context everyone: Steam Survey.

This is by no means a world wide demographic. It represents only Steam users and then only those who choose to participate.
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#38
starfals
''Blows Past Windows 10''
Yeah, not in my house it aint lol. Not anytime soon either. It might happen in 2 years, but thats the earliest. I wont touch 11 before that. Updates and support be dmned. I said in 2 years because i might replace a CPU that will probably need 11. If it didn't, if they still supported this wonderful windows... yeah. Im not moving from it. Being forced to move is not the same as me going to it cus its awesome, fresh and new. I got no desire, and many others share my feelings it seems. Not just the numbers of %, i read it everyday online from people.
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#39
Daven
R-T-BYeah, it couldn't be that a huge title based in Chinese mythology launched just recently. Keep in mind Chinas consumer market is growing and is a part of the global picture, like it or not.


It's technically not a supported CPU.
You have to be following the Steam Survey over time to know anything about it which obviously you don’t. Each spike in a spec over the last two years is accompanied by a spike in Simplified Chinese language EVERY time. There wasn’t a Chinese game launch each time data spiked.
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#40
Gooigi's Ex
Forcing people or inciting people to go to the “latest and greatest” OS and showing statistics on how more people are using Windows 11 more than Windows 10 is not a flex Microsoft.
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#41
oxrufiioxo
I started with just my Laptop being on 11 then upgraded my secondary PC and finally my primary PC all part of the steam survey.... No windows 10 in my house anymore. I like 10 though and would have no issue switching back but 11 doesn't bother me either it's mostly the same for my use case. I am part of the insider program though and the most recent version I like much better than the last.

Had I not swapped to a 7950X3D I likely would have stayed on 10 for my primary PC.
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#42
tsunami2311
I have 6700k like other have said it not "support" cpu it will pass the TPM thing as most board back then have option in bios. But alot people are NOT gona jump threw hoops to install win11. I can install win11 if I want to be bother to do the bypass, but I DONT.

If MS remove artificial place requirements. I would moved to win 11 and lot other would too. And I completely despise what MS did with start menu/Bar and I used windows 11 bunch system, but I refuse to jump threw hoops to install win11 just to be annoyed by what the did.

I know people that have pc that can run Win 11 but will not let that update go threw or do manual cause they dont like win11 and what they done, they dont even want updates going threw.

I get why MS want to do this , but the "requirement" are not requirements there what MS want people to have or what the "recommend". Simple solution MS remove that check or they just notify people people there system does not pass "security/cpu" recommendations and let us install. cause that all this is requirement is a recommendation
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#43
InVasMani
Seems like most that are switching is simply due to security supporting ending on Windows 10.
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#44
Darmok N Jalad
I can only imagine how obnoxious W10 will get when support does end. Remember all those "upgrade to 10" messages we used to get when it came out? And that was back when MS still had some dignity.
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#45
Chrispy_
I would imagine the "11% improved performance over Windows 10 for all Zen3, Zen4, and Zen5 owners" patch that dropped last week is a non-trivial factor in the uptick.
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#46
Wirko
With a moderate amount of oversimplification, we could say that everyone who bought or built a PC after W11 launch in October 2021 has installed and kept W11. Everyone else is keeping Windows NT 10/6.3/6.2/6.1/6.0/5.2/5.1/5.0/Linux.
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#47
R-T-B
DavenYou have to be following the Steam Survey over time to know anything about it which obviously you don’t. Each spike in a spec over the last two years is accompanied by a spike in Simplified Chinese language EVERY time. There wasn’t a Chinese game launch each time data spiked.
Yeah, that's easily explainable by the fact the Chinese market is growing constantly, which it is.

I don't need to follow steam survey in particular to understand basics like that. Believe it or not, Chinese count too.
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#48
Shihab
DavenThis is not a coincidence but simply a big data dump out of China with no useful analytics to be gained from that data.
"China."
"No useful analytics."
Bruh...


On a side note: while there are a couple of matching spikes/inverted spikes in the cases of Chinese language and Win11 marketshares, the general trend is linearly positive (both rising together, low p-val), and that the Chinese language share is absolutely useless in saying what Win11 share is (low R2). You'll have to find someone else to blame for it (or at least share this blame).

Source data available here.

At this point, I have to repeat my criticism from the previous thread and say that the issue here is not spikes or whatever, it's reaching for conclusions on trends from a single observation.
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#49
Minus Infinity
RuruThose can be bypassed?
Microsoft is about to patch the bypass out of existence. Might need to switch my old PC over to 11 before they drop the TPM hammer.
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#50
Daven
R-T-BYeah, that's easily explainable by the fact the Chinese market is growing constantly, which it is.

I don't need to follow steam survey in particular to understand basics like that. Believe it or not, Chinese count too.
We are talking about spikes here. Next month or the one after the numbers will go back down. That’s not growth. Something else is happening here.
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