With Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10 just around the corner, operating system preferences in the gaming world are rapidly changing. Steam’s July 2025 Hardware and Software Survey results show that the majority of gamers are now switching to Windows 11.

Windows 11 is gaining popularity among gamers

59.90 percent of users on the platform are using Windows 11. Windows 10’s share has fallen to 35.19 percent. This percentage was much higher until a few months ago. A small portion, at 0.09 percent, still remains on Windows 7.

While Windows 10 users still constitute a significant portion, this percentage is expected to decline in the near future. Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 in approximately two months. Additionally, Nvidia has announced that it will end driver support for Windows 10 in approximately a year.

This development makes the transition to Windows 11 mandatory for users who want to stay up-to-date on hardware updates and game optimizations. Valve has not released any information regarding how long Steam will continue to support Windows 10.

According to Steam data, 95.23% of users use Windows. Linux users make up 2.89%, and macOS users make up 1.88%. This distribution clearly demonstrates Windows’ continued dominance in the gaming ecosystem.

On the hardware front, the most commonly used graphics card is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060. This two-generation-old desktop card tops the list with a 4.62% share. It’s followed by the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, the desktop RTX 4060, the GTX 1650, and the RTX 3050. Models like the RTX 4060 Ti, RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, RTX 4070, and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU also make their way onto the list.

What all these cards have in common is that they are all Nvidia-made. 73.94% of users use Nvidia graphics cards. AMD users account for 17.83% and Intel users for 7.86%. The remaining systems are unidentified or unspecified.