According to Steam, the number of gamers using Windows 11 is steadily increasing. However, the operating system is hardly represented among other users. This could also be due to the high requirements preventing an upgrade.
Steam regularly publishes surveys, known as hardware surveys. Here, users are asked about the hardware they use and Steam collects all the data. This data is often helpful for observing certain trends.
What do the numbers look like in November?
- Windows 11 64 bit gained 6.46% and is now at 8.28%.
- Windows 10 64 bit lost 6.05% and is now at 83.38%.
The current numbers show that the share of Windows 11 among gamers has significantly increased. At first glance, this may not be surprising, as the Windows 11 release was just over a month ago. However, it is said that significantly more gamers use Windows 11 compared to the general public.
New system requirements prevent an upgrade to Windows 11
Why is Windows 11 so unpopular? Microsoft raised the hardware requirements significantly with the announcement of Windows 11. If these requirements are not met, Windows refuses to upgrade to the latest version.
Now, the IT management company “Lansweeper” stated that only about half of all computers in offices likely meet the current requirements of Windows 11 (via techradar.com).
According to Lansweeper, either too little RAM is installed in the computers or most systems do not support TPM 2.0. The lack of support for TPM 2.0 is said to be a reason why many computers do not receive an upgrade.
TPM 2.0 cannot be easily retrofitted, unlike more RAM. If you want to retrofit TPM 2.0, you need a newer processor and also a compatible motherboard.
Some motherboards also offer the possibility to retrofit TPM using a TPM header module. However, there must be a corresponding header slot on your motherboard, and each slot looks different, as there is no standardized design.
The lack of hardware is likely also true for many office computers that many people have been using at home for years, as hardware has never been particularly important for office tasks.
For gamers, the situation is somewhat different, as gamers are interested in playing on current hardware to ensure that games look good and the frame rate remains stable.
Gamers often have more modern hardware than other users
Among gamers, the hurdles for switching to Windows 11 seem to be significantly lower, as the hardware requirements are likely met in most cases. This is also reflected in the statistics on Steam (via steampowered.com):
- Most gamers now have 8 GB of RAM or more installed. Almost half of all gamers even have 16 GB.
- Most users on Steam either have a quad-core or a six-core processor.
Especially the hardware scarcity and high demand for consoles and graphics cards show that many gamers are quite willing to invest money into their hobby. As Windows 11 also offers special features for gamers, many gamers are indeed more willing to switch to the new operating system.
For gamers, the situation is somewhat different, as gamers are interested in playing on current hardware to ensure that games look good and the frame rate remains stable.
Gamers often have more modern hardware than other users
Among gamers, the hurdles for switching to Windows 11 seem to be significantly lower, as the hardware requirements are likely met in most cases. This is also reflected in the statistics on Steam (via steampowered.com):
- Most gamers now have 8 GB of RAM or more installed. Almost half of all gamers even have 16 GB.
- Most users on Steam either have a quad-core or a six-core processor.
Especially the hardware scarcity and high demand for consoles and graphics cards show that many gamers are quite willing to invest money into their hobby. As Windows 11 also offers special features for gamers, many gamers are indeed more willing to switch to the new operating system.
