The RAMpocalypse has bought Microsoft valuable time in the fight against SteamOS
Summary
Valve’s SteamOS has slowly increased its share in PC gaming by allowing Windows games to run on Linux, challenging Microsoft’s Windows dominance. However, Valve’s plans to expand SteamOS hardware, like the Steam Machine and Steam Deck, are on hold due to rising costs and shortages of computer parts caused by high demand from artificial intelligence (AI) technology development.Key Facts
- Over 92% of PCs on Steam use some version of Windows, down from about 96% five to fifteen years ago.
- Linux’s share increased from under 1% in 2021 to over 5% recently, with SteamOS contributing a small part of this growth.
- Valve has succeeded by making Windows games work on Linux rather than trying to get developers to create Linux-only games.
- SteamOS gained support for third-party gaming hardware, and some devices started shipping with SteamOS instead of Windows.
- Valve announced the Steam Machine in late 2025 to compete with game consoles and lower-end PCs.
- Rising prices and shortages of PC parts, especially memory and storage chips, are delaying Valve’s hardware plans.
- Increased demand for components is driven by AI development, which uses a lot of memory, storage, and processing power.
- Tariffs from the Trump administration increased costs before shortages worsened the situation, causing price hikes for consumer hardware.
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