The latest results from Steam's Hardware & Software Survey covering May 2017 have revealed a surprise. Use of Windows 7 is increasing while Windows 10 use declined. The percentage change is very small, but it's still a change that will have many people, and Microsoft in particular, scratching their heads as to why.
96.06 percent of people with a Steam account run some version of Windows, from XP right through to Windows 10. Topping the charts is Windows 10 64-bit, which commands a 49.05 percent share. However, its use declined slightly compared to the previous month (down 1.03 percent). In second place is Windows 7 64-bit, which achieves 32.26 percent (up 1.4 percent). 32-bit versions of both operating systems do still feature in the list, but are only in use by a very small and declining user base.
Is this a blip for Windows 7 and Windows 10? All new systems running a Microsoft operating system ship with Windows 10. Windows 7 has all but disappeared even in standalone disc form, so the growth clearly isn't going to be due to new systems or installs. Could it be some game(s) have been released recently that encouraged gamers with older systems to sign-up to Steam?
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Next month's figures should reveal whether this is a blip or not. I can't see how it can be anything else as Windows 10 is everywhere. As for how other operating systems fare, all versions of OSX account for just 3.05 percent of users. The situation is even worse for Linux, which only manages 0.81 percent.
If you're wondering what the most popular system is if you bring all the different favorite components together, it would be a Windows 10 64-bit machine using a 3.3GHz quad-core Intel processor, 8GB RAM, a 1TB+ hard drive, and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card. The screen resolution of whatever monitor is being used would most likely be 1920-by-1080. If there's a VR headset in use, it's a HTC Vive.
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