Tux Machines

Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas

Posted by Roy Schestowitz on Apr 04, 2024

If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.

I've been used to Linux usage in single digits for years. Before you get too excited, Linux hasn't cracked a double-digit market share on the global desktop scene. However, two metrics that could have a meaningful impact on the future rise of Linux's popularity.

First, Steam on Linux is inching closer to 2%. The first month of 2024 saw Linux reach 1.95% for Steam usage, which is almost back at the open-source OS's highest point of 2.0%. That climb dropped a bit in February but then climbed back up to its current percentage of 1.94.

That's the overall numbers. If you go with English only, it hits a high of 4.66%. To get an idea of the actual numbers, according to Valve, as of March 2022, there were 132 million total "monthly active users," which would equate to roughly 2,640,000 Linux users.

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