Over half of all Steam users still rely on Windows 10
Although the end of support is approaching, Windows 10 is strong in the Steam survey. Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4060 is the most widely used graphics card.
(Image: heise online / mma)
Windows 10 continues to enjoy a high level of popularity among desktop PC and notebook gamers. Most recently, the share in Valve's February edition of the Steam hardware and software survey shot up again dramatically – from just under 43 to a good 53 percent. This is likely due to a drastic increase in Chinese users.
However, the survey results since the summer of 2024 show that Windows 10 remains popular even without the Chinese increase and despite the imminent end of support. Until May 2024, the operating system consistently achieved more than 50 percent. The lowest figure was a good 42% last year in December.
With the end of support in October 2025, Microsoft will discontinue all updates for the general public. Without security updates, the operating system will no longer be secure. Microsoft is therefore urging users to upgrade to Windows 11.
Chinese rash
Windows 10 is particularly popular in China. In February, the proportion of Chinese-speaking Steam users rose from just under 30 percent to 50 percent. Typically, a language shoots up in the surveys when it is vacation or vacation time in a country. Every year in February, this applies to the Chinese New Year. However, this year's increase is unusually high. It is possible that players of the Chinese title "Black Myth: Wukong" were added to the list.
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At the end of the month, errors in the Steam survey can largely be ruled out. Valve sometimes corrects the figures in the first few weeks after release. The results should be a good representation of Steam users.
There are also anomalies in the graphics cards used. Numerous mid-range and high-end models from Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3000 and RTX 4000 series have risen recently. The GeForce RTX 4060 saw the strongest growth and now tops the list. It is said to be used in almost 8.4 percent of systems. The GeForce RTX 3060 was previously in first place – and is now in second place with 6.7 percent.
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