As usual, Valve has shared its monthly statistics for Steam’s usage, this time focusing on December. And as always, there are some noteworthy highlights.
Back in early November, Linux surpassed the 2% mark for the first time among all Steam users—a significant milestone.
Now, that number has climbed even higher, reaching nearly 2.30%. This upward trend suggests that in 2025, Linux could surpass the 3% threshold, setting a new all-time high.
What’s particularly interesting is that Arch-based distributions are becoming the go-to choice for Linux gamers. Unsurprisingly, Arch Linux continues to lead the Steam charts with 0.20% usage.
Meanwhile, its derivative, Manjaro, holds steady with a 0.06% usage share. The real surprise, though, is the debut of EndeavourOS on the list, matching Manjaro’s share at 0.06%.
For those unfamiliar with this great Arch alternative, EndeavourOS is designed to provide a simple yet powerful experience as close as possible to that of Arch.
It offers a minimal base install with easy access to various desktop environments and tools, making it perfect for users who want (almost) vanilla Arch feeling but without the complexity of setting it up from scratch.
It’s worth noting that EndeavourOS overtook Debian 12—a major player in the Linux field—in the December Steam statistics. Until the end of November, Debian 12 held a 0.5% usage share but has since been replaced.
Finally, just a reminder for Linux users who want to transform their Arch system into a powerful Steam-ready gaming station: don’t miss our guide on the subject.
Check out the Valve’s Steam Hardware & Software Survey for more information.
i have never used steam. the most gaming i do on linux is with emulators everything else i use a dedicated gaming console since i know they have to make the games work on it.
I mean the different versions of ubuntu would surpass Arch. If we include what we see in the list 24.01.1 and Ubuntu Core 22 at (.1 + .08 = .18%) share, I would imagine there is 22.04,22.10,24.10 and so on it would surpass 0.20%.
So no Ubuntu is a more commonly used dist than Arch.
But if we included the steam deck in the survey as Arch it should win.
I use Endeavour Os, for best Arch linux based distro experience.Manjaro, for 'less risky' version of Arch Linux, when talking about package updates.Inmo, Manjaro is Mint for Arch linux lovers, but not expert. Like Mint is the same but for Debian.And yes, Arch linux offers more packages than Deb or Rpm packages.Just have a look on Github, I rarely see installing instructions for Deb or Rpm based distros.Arch Linux is always nominated and the…winner.Dear Arch Linux, just give us a Calamares installer 😉 And I will stop using arch based distros.Keeping the original !
arch means no selinux or apparmor offical support. security wise arch has a history of being the worst option. i never need instructions for installing anything on a deb based system. no arch does not offer more packages then other distros this is flat out false and there is nothong on the arch platform that i could not add to other non arch distros. nominated the winner of what the –least friendly distro??? if you want security for a server you basically want fedora or ubuntu since they offer things arch distro does not.
why not use 'Archinstall'
I did think about it. But I think it's less friendly for non expert.I have to try it in a virtual machine, to see what happens. And to avoid mess on my partitions.