Amidst Microsoft’s announcement of the end of support for Windows 10, Steam’s data showed that while Windows 11 is the most popular OS, over 40% of users are still on Windows 10. This meant that gamers who hadn't previously found a compelling reason to upgrade or were restricted by the heavy requirements would now be pushed into making the switch. However, it seems things have gone the opposite way from what Microsoft had planned.

According to Steam’s February 2025 Hardware and Software Survey, Windows 10 has seen a massive influx of users and has now become the most popular OS, dethroning Windows 11. Currently, Windows 10 users stand at 53%, which is around 10% higher than before, while Windows 11 users have taken a big hit, dropping about 10%, down to 44%.

More Chinese players are joining Steam

The reason behind Windows 10’s growth on Steam could be linked to another report from Steam’s survey, which shows a significant increase (+20.88%) in Simplified Chinese as the primary language, reaching half of all users. As a result, we’re seeing a major rise in Windows 10 users. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this pattern, as there have been previous instances where large numbers of users from China joined or became more active on Steam. The release of Black Myth: Wukong was one of these massive drivers last year.

According to data shared by Statcounter, Windows 10 has over double the amount of users as Windows 11 in China as of February 2025 – 55.14% to 26.47%, respectively.

That said, Microsoft is set to end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, meaning they will no longer provide free software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for the OS. Don’t get it twisted, you will still be able to use Windows 10 on your system, though at a higher risk of malware attacks and viruses due to the lack of security updates. However, with this sudden surge in Windows 10’s popularity, will gamers finally make the switch, or will Microsoft find another way to tackle this challenge?

About the Author

Hassam Nasir

Hassam boasts over seven years of professional experience as a dedicated PC hardware reviewer and writer.