[added analysis] October Steam survey: Windows 10 loses 17.3% market share, Windows 7 gains 23.7% market share

[Delicieuxz]

 

Steam: Gamers abandoning Windows 10 in huge numbers

Quote

 

Microsoft has -- for the moment at least -- stopped updating its official Windows market share page, which means if you want to see how well the various flavors of Windows are doing, you have three options. StatCounter’s latest update shows Windows 10 closing in on Windows 7, while NetMarketShare’s figures have the new OS still a long way off reaching that milestone.

 

The third option is Steam’s monthly user survey, which shows the state of things from the gamers’ perspective. Usually Windows 10 is by far the most popular OS but in October its share tumbled, while Windows 7’s shot up. A mistake surely? But no, it seems to be correct.

 

The latest stats from Steam show Windows 10 shedding a massive 17.38 percentage points, to give it 28.6 percent share. (The 64-bit version accounts for 28.23 percent, and the 32-bit version adds a tiny 0.37 percent).

 

Meanwhile, Windows 7 has gained a whopping 21.47 percentage points in the same month, climbing to 65.46 percent (63.60 percent for the 64-bit build, and 1.86 percent for the 32-bit edition).

 

You could be forgiven for thinking that Steam has made a mistake here, or that gamers are turning their backs on Windows 10 in huge numbers, but it seems likely that at least a sizable portion of the change can be attributed to China's influence.

 

According to the Language section of Steam’s survey, Simplified Chinese surged 26.83 percentage points to 56.37 percent in October, while English fell 13.40 percentage points to 21.24 percent. It seems reasonable, therefore, to assume that Chinese gamers running Windows 7 are responsible for much of the shift we’re seeing here. There's no official word from Steam on this yet.

 

 

 

 

The article suggests that the shift could be due to the large numbers of players in China using Windows 7. But, I don't know if that means gamers in China are suddenly switching to Windows 7, or if there is suddenly a massive number of gamers in China signing up for Steam. If it's the latter, then I'm curious which products their signing up to play.

 

The article also notes that Microsoft stopped updating its own dubious market share graph in February of this year - likely because it stopped being possible to make it appear favourable in regards to Windows 10.

 

Another factor that could be causing people to move back to Windows 7 is the Fall Creators Update - which, as is now traditional for large Windows 10 updates, has been causing a lot of people a lot of problems on their systems, post-update. I think that by this time, after 3 major Windows 10 updates, each creating new problems for many people, that many people would have had enough of Windows 10 and Satya Nadella's Microsoft, and would want to go back to a Windows OS that was made when Microsoft was still about quality - one that just works, is rock-solid, and which is straight-forward.

 

Personally, the more I use Windows 10, the more I find it offers me nothing over Windows 7, and instead adds bugs, tons of unnecessary bloatware apps, loss of control, privacy issues, a messy and convoluted UI, and weird delays when opening basic built-in things like OS settings, the calculator, etc.

 

If you'd also like to have a more stress-free OS, or even just want to make a statement against the quality of Microsoft and Windows products under Satya Nadella, I have a June 2015 ISO (which is basically just before Microsoft's spyware started being back-added to Windows 7) Windows 7 Ultimate available for download here:

 

 

You'll need to have a Windows 7 Ultimate license key to register it, though. One of those can be found for sale on eBay, Reddit, or any number of places.

 

 

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Another insight from the updated Steam survey stats is that, when comparing all of September's Steam hardware survey specs to October's specs, it appears that the average Chinese gamer's system is better than the average North American gamer's system, as October's influx of (apparently) Chinese gamer systems has significantly raised the lowest common denominator across the board especially concerning the OS.

 

Last month's specs:

 

Processor speed: 2.3 - 2.69 Ghz (~16.5%)
Processor speed: 2.7 - 2.99 Ghz (11.02%)
Processor speed: 3.0 - 3.29 Ghz (~19.4%)
Processor speed: 3.3 - 3.69 Ghz (~21%)

 

Processor cores: 2 (~36.5%)
Processor cores: 4 (57%)

 

Most common OS: Windows 10

 

1920x1080 resolution (~66.80%)
2560x1440 resolution (2.68%)

 

This month's most common specs:

 

Processor speed: 2.3 - 2.69 Ghz (10.31%)
Processor speed: 2.7 - 2.99 Ghz (15.96%)
Processor speed: 3.0 - 3.29 Ghz (30.93%)
Processor speed: 3.3 - 3.69 Ghz (22.04%)

 

Processor cores: 2 (27.07%)
Processor cores: 4 (69.55%)

 

Most common OS: Windows 7

 

1920x1080 resolution (71.38%)
2560x1440 resolution (3.40%)

 

1 GB VRAM  -9.29%
2 GB VRAM  +8.63%
3 GB VRAM  +3.73%
4 GB VRAM  +3.38%

 

 

This could be good news for gamers seeking to have graphical standards move ahead quicker, as game developers might increase the target hardware for their in-development games as a result of the lowest common denominator in recorded hardware stats increasing.

[Syntaxvgm]

Even though dx12 is 10 only?

 

HahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahah get rekt MS.

 

 

Also, why 7 and not 8? 8 is faster. I typically use that with classic shell and I'm pretty happy with it. 

[themctipers]

csgo in china or something no more crossfire's pay to win boobs

 

$10 or so, also has a smaller hitbox, runs faster, and comes with a fucking gun and knife!

[Tech Wizard]

Welcome to the master OS, China!

[FIXXX]

Really don't see issues with Windows 10 on my side. 

Switched as soon as the free upgrade was available.

[Delicieuxz]

1 minute ago, Tedny said:

I need support for Vulkan and dx12, I will say on Windows 10

Windows 7, and every Windows OS going back to Windows XP has Vulkan support. Just not DirectX 12 support.

[bcredeur97]

has the overall number of steam users gone up? that would provide a hint as to whether it's people dumping win 10 for 7 or just new people. 

Also PUBG may be partly to blame. lot of new people playing it... pretty much the fastest growing game ever as far as I can tell lol

[DrMacintosh]

I love the constant number of Macs there are  

[themctipers]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

I love the constant number of Macs there are  

i

 

i used to be 

a iMac gamer

 

with my totally legit iMac late 2013 with a GTX 1070 and 32GB RAM!

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, themctipers said:

i

 

i used to be 

a iMac gamer

 

with my totally legit iMac late 2013 with a GTX 1070 and 32GB RAM!

Lmao 

[themctipers]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

Lmao 

my macbook (2006) also is totally legit

 

with a windows xp sticker

[AlTech]

K then.

 

I'm guessing it's due to how many new users from China steam got as part of their opening up thing in China.

 

I'm guessing a fair amount of that Windows 7 user base was gained from China.

 

That doesn't change the fact that Windows 10 adoption has been generally quite bad among enterprises, businesses and average nontechie people.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

16 minutes ago, Syntaxvgm said:

HahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahahHahahahah get rekt MS.

That was my initial response too. 

 

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

That doesn't change the fact that Windows 10 adoption has been generally quite bad among enterprises, businesses and average nontechie people.

Actually no.  The nontechie people were tricked into "upgrading" in the first couple of months of the free upgrade.  It's only the tech-savvy ones who are still running Win7 at home because they managed to dodge all of Microsoft's dirty moves during that first year.

[Delicieuxz]

Just now, AluminiumTech said:

K then.

 

I'm guessing it's due to how many new users from China steam got as part of their opening up thing in China.

 

I'm guessing a fair amount of that Windows 7 user base was gained from China.

 

That doesn't change the fact that Windows 10 adoption has been generally quite bad among enterprises, businesses and average nontechie people.

Didn't your Location used to say Hong Kong? What is the situation there like, with what OSes people use, and how people feel towards particular OSes? Is there any governmental restrictions on Windows 10 in China?

[AresKrieger]

On 11/5/2017 at 3:20 PM, Syntaxvgm said:

8 is faster

Wasn't initially and is a hassle to deal with by comparison, but the most likely reason is the availability of iso installers that activate windows 7 to the point MS couldn't tell the difference during the windows 10 upgrade.

 

On 11/5/2017 at 3:35 PM, AluminiumTech said:

average nontechie people.

It's not even good among techie people, the only reason most of them switch is dx12 and nothing else others stay the hell away from it such as myself, and of course Luke is a notable example of refusing to switch (though he uses 8.1).

[Sauron]

19 minutes ago, Syntaxvgm said:

Also, why 7 and not 8? 8 is faster. I typically use that with classic shell and I'm pretty happy with it. 

Well, why 8 and not 10 for that matter... at least 10 has a usable ui out of the box.

[Sakkura]

Looking at those graphs, I suspect Valve has changed their survey methodology, rendering comparisons somewhat useless (even more than the Steam hardware survey usually is).

[themctipers]

3 minutes ago, Delicieuxz said:

Didn't your Location used to say Hong Kong? What is the situation there like, with what OSes people use, and how people feel towards particular OSes? Is there any governmental restrictions on Windows 10 in China?

HK is but not is China.

 

HK -> UK because education,

 

I live in a non techie HK area and everyone uses WXP/W7 because why upgrade your PC when you can just use your phone? I know nobody that uses W10.

[Majestic]

<-- one of those hypothetical people that went back to windows 7.

 

Win10 is buggy trash.

[AlTech]

On 11/5/2017 at 9:37 PM, Delicieuxz said:

Didn't your Location used to say Hong Kong? What is the situation there like, with what OSes people use, and how people feel towards particular OSes? Is there any governmental restrictions on Windows 10 in China?

I moved to the UK.

 

In Hong Kong there's no restrictions on Windows 10 or any Windows.

 

Windows 7 and XP are only really prevalent on Business computers.

 

Schools who used Windows 7 are migrating to Windows 10. The healthcare system still seems to use Windows XP and IE6.

On 11/5/2017 at 9:42 PM, themctipers said:

I live in a non techie HK area and everyone uses WXP/W7 because why upgrade your PC when you can just use your phone? I know nobody that uses W10.

No?

 

Lots of nontechie people in HK use Macs lol. The amount of people using Windows 7 there isn't super huge outside of corporate and education.

[themctipers]

Just now, AluminiumTech said:

I moved to the UK.

 

In Hong Kong there's no restrictions on Windows 10 or any Windows.

 

Windows 7 and XP are only really prevalent on Business computers.

 

Schools who used Windows 7 are migrating to Windows 10. The healthcare system still seems to use Windows Vista and IE6.

No?

 

Lots of nontechie people in HK use Macs lol. The amount of people using Windows 7 there isn't super huge outside of corporate and education.

area

 

but in canada

 

 

something to do with HK going over to China from UK

 

 

I don't know anyone who uses a Mac, outside of my elementary school. 

[AlTech]

1 minute ago, themctipers said:

something to do with HK going over to China from UK

HK is not officially China yetTM.

 

There's no restrictions on search engines or stuff like that at all.

1 minute ago, themctipers said:

I don't know anyone who uses a Mac, outside of my elementary school. 

K then. Lots of expats in Hong Kong use Macs and Apple products.

[AresKrieger]

6 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

The amount of people using Windows 7 there isn't super huge outside of corporate and education.

 maybe in england/HK but not in the states

 

The only people I know who have windows 10 are those who've bought new laptops and my uncle who needs a specific program for his business that was made rather recently, it will vary state to state but in my area 65 to 70% of people likely use windows 7 however most of them do not use steam, and the ones who do that I know would never fill out a survey.

[themctipers]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

HK is not officially China yetTM.

 

There's no restrictions on search engines or stuff like that at all.

K then. Lots of expats in Hong Kong use Macs and Apple products.

a macbook pro with 128gb of storage starts at $1600 + tax (or somewhere around there)

 

it is SAR, so different, but still china

[PlayStation 2]

While I wouldn't doubt people went away from using Windows 10, it really does seem like people in mainland China use Windows 7.

If it can explain why the amount of English users in percentage went down, it'd likely also explain that.