For the first time since its launch in 2021, Windows 11 has surpassed Windows 10 in terms of the number of users, though so far only on Steam. This was reported by The Verge.
Users are in no hurry to upgrade from Windows 10; in the almost three years since Windows 11 was released, the number of its users has reached only 30% of the market.
One of the main reasons is the operating system's requirements for user hardware, including the need for a TPM security chip and a processor not older than 2018. Therefore, gamers who try to update their PCs in a timely manner now make up the lion's share of Windows 11 users.
According to the Steam Hardware Survey for August, Windows 11 usage is at 49%, up more than 3% from 46% in July. Windows 10 usage decreased by about 3% to 47%. The number of macOS and Linux users remained virtually unchanged in August.
A data leak inside Microsoft in October 2023 revealed that Windows 11 was running on more than 400 million devices at the time, a slower adoption rate than Windows 10. Windows 10 took a year to reach 400 million active devices, while Windows 11 took two years.
As a reminder, Windows 10 support ends in October 2025. In the future, users will be able to pay for further security updates for the operating system, but the prices are currently announced only for business customers.