We’re incredibly close to end-of-life for Windows 10. Support stops on October 14, less than a month from now. Recent Steam hardware & software surveys have shown a trend of gamers jumping ship as they upgrade to Windows 11 – we noticed nearly half of Steam users were still on Windows 10 back in February; this has since dropped to 35%.

Statistics from Jon Peddie Research show the effect of this on the PC gaming hardware market. 2025 has seen an explosion of growth in the sector, jumping 35%, up to a $44.4bn market. This includes sales of desktops, notebooks, DIY (PC building), and peripheral/accessories. The firm concludes that consumers upgrading their PC for Windows 11 is one key aspect.

Users are upgrading their hardware, not just software

According to JPR (Jon Peddie Research), the massive growth of the market can be attributed, in part, to gamers upgrading to accomodate Windows 11. “We are observing that most PC gamers are simply buying new prebuilt systems,” says the firm.

“Never before in the history of the Microsoft Windows operating system has there been a forced hardware migration requirement. And this cannot be solved by swapping out a graphics card. It requires a CPU upgrade for over 100 million gamers, which, in turn, requires a motherboard upgrade and most likely RAM as well”

Ted Pollak, Senior Gaming Analyst at Jon Peddie Research

JPR notes that not only does this affect prebuilt system buyers, but the DIY segment as well. “DIY gamers are also prepared for this transition, and many have been building new computers alongside their existing Windows 10 PCs, instead of trying to Frankenstein their current systems,” says Pollak. President Dr. Jon Peddie adds that they are “forecasting a significant decrease in entry-level PC gaming over the next five years” by around 13%, including those leaving the PC platform entirely.

Windows 10 will still work on your PC, but Microsoft is cutting support for technical support, software updates, and security updates or fixes, so it makes a lot of sense to upgrade – especially if you’re long overdue a new gaming PC. Windows 11 system requirements aren’t crazy, but they do lock out a certain number of people on aging entry-level hardware.

We’ve also seen a solid amount of Steam users switching to Linux. Valve’s very own SteamOS (used for its Steam Deck handheld) remains the leading Linux-based operating system on the platform, but there has been steady growth outside of that, too.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.