14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has absolutely no rival when it comes to PC gaming, with Windows running on more than 96 percent of the systems, according to new data provided by Valve for its Steam platform.
The Redmond-based software giant is continuously improving Windows to become a better gaming platform, and the adoption figures of Windows 10 are the living proof, with most gamers quickly upgrading to the most recent operating system thanks to all the new features, like DirectX 12.
Valve claims Windows has an overall market share of 96.06 percent for May 2017, down only 0.07 percent, while only 3.05 percent of its users choose macOS. Linux is even far behind with just 0.81 percent.
Both Mac and Linux have been marketed as rivals to Windows, also in the gaming business, and with more Steam titles making their way to these platforms, it's not difficult to see why some users are even pondering a switch from Windows. But statistics show that Windows has barely been affected by all these changes, remaining the preferred platform for gamers across the world.
Windows 10 going down
Windows 10 is currently the number one version with a Steam share of 49.05 percent, but Microsoft's most recent operating system is actually down 1.03 percent versus the previous month. On the other hand, the 64-bit version of Windows 7 improved 1.40 percent to reach 32.26 percent, after several months of decline mostly caused by the free upgrade offer that Microsoft launched after the debut of Windows 10.
In terms of Apple platforms, macOS 10.12.4 is the number one choice for Steam users with a share of 1.24 percent, up 0.48 percent versus the previous month. MacOS 10.11.6 is the runner-up with 0.56 percent.
For Linux, the preferred distribution for gaming on Steam is Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS 64-bit, which is currently running on 0.23 percent of the systems. Ubuntu 17.04 is only now making its way to these stats with 0.10 percent share.