Windows 11 has officially claimed the title of the most popular operating system among gamers on Steam, overtaking its predecessor, Windows 10. According to Steam’s hardware survey for August, Windows 11 is now utilized by 50.8% of gamers on Windows PCs, marking an increase of 3.4 percentage points from July. Meanwhile, Windows 10 has seen a decline, now accounting for 48.7% of users, down 3.3 percentage points from the previous month.
This achievement comes as a somewhat delayed victory for Microsoft, considering that Windows 11 has been available for nearly three years. Interestingly, PC gamers typically possess more advanced hardware than the average computer user, which makes this transition all the more noteworthy.
Statcounter’s global Windows market share data further illustrates the landscape, revealing that Windows 10 was still in use on approximately 64.2% of Windows PCs as of July, while Windows 11 had yet to capture a third of the market, standing at 31.6%.
As Windows 10 approaches the end of its official support in October 2025, speculation arises regarding the possibility of an extension, given its substantial user base and Microsoft’s history of prolonging support timelines.
Gaming PC Hardware In 2024
The latest Steam statistics provide insights into the average gaming PC setup in 2024. AMD has made notable strides against Intel, now holding exactly one-third of the processor market, with a recent increase of 0.7% in just one month.
Memory configurations have also evolved, with the average gaming PC now equipped with 16GB of RAM. Almost half of the surveyed PCs boast this amount, while over 30% feature 32GB, and a remarkable 3.3% are outfitted with a staggering 64GB.
The diversity in graphics cards is evident, with Nvidia leading the pack. The GeForce RTX 3060 stands out as the most popular individual card, albeit with a modest market share of 5.5%.
When it comes to display resolutions, Full HD remains the dominant choice, utilized by 57.3% of Windows PC gamers surveyed. The next most common resolution is 2,560 x 1,440, which accounts for 20.2% of users.
Mac Gamer Stats
While Macs are not traditionally the go-to choice for gamers, Apple’s recent efforts to position the Mac as a viable gaming platform have not gone unnoticed. Steam’s survey indicates that the MacBook Pro is the preferred model among Mac gamers, with 34.3% opting for these powerful laptops. The MacBook Air follows closely at 20.9%, while the iMac lags behind at just 6.2%.
Mac gamers tend to have less memory compared to their PC counterparts, with 45.2% using 8GB and 34.2% utilizing 16GB. However, it’s important to note that the unified memory architecture of modern Apple Silicon Macs is more efficient than traditional PC RAM, allowing for comparable performance with lower memory requirements.
Screen resolution among Mac gamers is also generally lower, with 1,440 x 900 being the most common. This trend likely reflects the preference for laptops over desktop setups among Mac users.
Overall, Steam’s statistics serve as a valuable resource for developers, offering insights into the gaming capabilities of their potential audience and helping them gauge the specifications required for their titles.
