Even though Windows 11 has been available for over four years, a significant portion of gamers are still clinging to Windows 10. I know this because I have a dedicated Windows 10 machine to run certain games from Steam and GOG.
This new regarding Windows 10 comes from Steam’s January 2025 Hardware & Software Survey. The data reveals that more than 44% of Steam users are still on Windows 10, while just over 55% have upgraded to Windows 11.
This reluctance to switch isn’t surprising (see my above statement on certain games). For many users, the differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 aren’t immediately obvious, and there’s often no compelling reason to upgrade. Additionally, Windows 11’s stricter hardware requirements have left many with older processors unable to make the jump, even though their systems are still perfectly capable of running most PC games.
But gamers on Steam might not have a choice as Windows 10’s end-of-life is set for October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide software updates or security fixes for the operating system. The company has been urging users to upgrade for years, and the shift is slowly happening—Windows 10 held a slight majority of Steam’s user base in September 2024 but has since lost about 5% of its share.
The survey also highlighted some interesting trends in gaming hardware:
- The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 is the most popular GPU among Steam users.
- 16GB of RAM is the most common memory configuration.
- A majority of users have hard drives with over 1TB of total space and 100 to 249GB of free space.
While the transition to Windows 11 seems inevitable, it’s clear that many gamers are in no rush to abandon Windows 10, especially given its familiarity and compatibility with older hardware. However, as the end-of-life date approaches, the shift to Windows 11 is likely to accelerate.
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