Overview
-
Linux gaming on Steam has surpassed 3% market share for the first time, marking a significant milestone for the platform.
-
Many users praise improved compatibility and performance, but note that anti-cheat software for some games remains a major barrier to ditching Windows entirely.
-
The end of Windows 10 support and dissatisfaction with Windows 11 are driving more gamers to try Linux, with many sharing positive experiences and hoping for broader developer support.
Linux gaming experience improves dramatically
Linux gaming has come a long way, with users reporting that most games now run smoothly thanks to tools like Proton and distributions like Bazzite and Fedora. Many gamers are finding that their hardware works just as well, if not better, on Linux, and the need to dual-boot Windows is shrinking. The community is especially vocal about how much easier it’s become to get started, with only a handful of games—mostly those with strict anti-cheat requirements—still holding out.
-
Linux keeps getting better. Windows keeps getting worse. I still can't do everything in Linux, so my main computer still runs Windows. But my laptop and steam deck are both Linux. And the list of things I still need Windows for gets smaller every year.
-
It's getting better every month. Proton and GloriousEggroll making gaming on Linux better everyday. Once we can figure out a way around kernel level anti-cheat, it will absolutely skunk Windows.
-
I'm happy I made the switch two years ago. My gaming desktop took a little more time to convert over but after finding more games (oblivion remaster surprisingly as an example) ran better on Linux than win10, I found less of a reason to even use windows except at work. I still have that windows install for things I can't use on Linux but at this point I only log into windows to update it now. Valve and GE at redhat really have changed the game. I'm not a AAA enjoyer. I can care less about multiplayer games requiring root access to my system. My steam account has enough games at this point my backlog is jammed. Linux has helped me stop chasing the dragon. I've only changed my graphics card, psu and ram since 2018 in my desktop and Linux made my hardware purchase back then worth every penny.
Anti-cheat compatibility remains a hurdle
Despite the progress, anti-cheat software remains a major roadblock for Linux adoption among gamers. Many popular multiplayer titles still require kernel-level anti-cheat systems that don’t support Linux, forcing users to keep a Windows partition or miss out on certain games. There’s a strong hope that as Linux’s share grows, developers will be pressured to make their anti-cheat solutions compatible, but for now, it’s the main sticking point.
-
If anticheat software would work on Linux then I’d never use windows again.
-
I'm hoping it becomes a snowball effect and it forces game developers to allow their anticheats on Linux.
-
If battlefield 6 would work - I would switch also.
Windows changes push users toward Linux
A big driver behind the Linux surge is frustration with Windows—especially the end of Windows 10 support and unpopular changes in Windows 11. Many users are switching to Linux to avoid forced upgrades, privacy concerns, and hardware requirements that leave otherwise capable PCs behind. The sentiment is clear: as Windows becomes more restrictive, Linux looks more appealing, especially with Steam making gaming easier than ever on the platform.
-
Microsoft removing support for Windows 10 while not allowing me to upgrade to Windows 11 was exactly the push I needed. I'm guessing there are many others going forward on that path.
-
With Win10 support officially ended and Win11 being the hot garbage it is (read: data harvestware for ads) + Recall (read: spyware), I would imagine we're going to see the percentage of Linux users grow substantially over the next couple of years vice what we've seen up to this point.
-
This past month, I've migrated like a dozen machines from Windows 10 to Linux Mint, from users that would have never considered using anything but windows, until Microsoft decided that their machines weren't worthy of using Windows 11, despite having three i7 in that group and i5s the rest, with an average of 16gb ram. Half of those are gamers that were all in when they learned steam was available for Linux too. Microsoft idiotic windows 11 requirements are going to push a lot of people with perfectly serviceable machines to Linux, several gamers among them
Linux gaming is no longer a niche experiment—it's a growing force, fueled by community innovation and shifting user priorities. Whether you're a seasoned Linux user or just Linux-curious, now's the perfect time to join the discussion and share your experience on Reddit.