In spite of its tumultuous beginnings, Windows 11 adoption continues to rise. While it has enjoyed a steady growth in popularity, many gamers continue to stick with its tried and tested predecessor, Windows 10. Many will have no choice, owing to the operating system hardware requirements, but some find safety in the old version’s stability. However, just shy of three years on from launch, Microsoft’s latest is now the most popular choice of OS among Steam users.
You don’t need the best CPU to run Windows 11, far from it. The operating system does demand a chip with support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, though. In a nutshell, this calls for an 8th Gen Intel Core or Ryzen 2000 series processor or newer. Naturally, as gamers upgrade their systems from older architectures, this requirement becomes less of an issue. That’s not forgetting the looming end-of-life (EoL) status of Windows 10 serving as further incentive to switch.
Looking at the Steam Hardware & Software Survey: August 2024 results, we find Windows 11 sitting pretty at the head of the pack. The operating system’s share of PCs jumped to 49.17% (+3.36%) from the prior month, whereas Windows 10 boasts 47.09%. While not a massive lead, it’s likely to cement with a wider differential given time. Narrowing results down to purely Windows machines, Microsoft’s latest OS pulls in just over half of the platform’s users, with 50.81%.
Windows 11 has no single driving force to thank for pushing it over the top, as its victory more the result of attrition than anything else. Still, this marks an important turning point in the PC space, and puts all the more pressure on Microsoft to address the operating system’s shortcomings. After all, Windows 10 is still slightly faster for gaming on average.
I’ve personally used Windows 11 since November 2021. While not a perfect operating system, even presently, I see little reason to not use it now in place of Windows 10. Had I not already switched yonks ago, the performance benefits of 23H2 and 24H2 would have surely pushed me to leave Windows 10 behind. After all, I’d miss out on a big boost for my Ryzen 7 7800X3D by kicking it old school.
Expect to see the proliferation of Windows 11 continue to grow among Steam users in the future. A successor, Windows 12, is coming but won’t be with us for a while yet. Even when the operating system does arrive, it’ll likely face the same slow slog to the top as the now reigning champion endured.
If you’re thinking of upgrading, check out our guide on how to clean install Windows 11 from a USB. Just remember that you’ll need compatible hardware to make the leap.
