Once upon a time, one of many universally accepted truths was that should you had been severe about gaming on a PC or laptop computer, you wanted Windows.
Microsoft fostered a group of PC avid gamers that’s been round for greater than three many years now, and the methods you possibly can recreation are evolving past counting on the x86 likes of Intel and AMD chips, and bringing Arm help for laptops sporting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite.
But the winds of change may be blowing. The Steam Deck showed what was possible on Linux, Valve is coming for the desktop space with Steam Machine, and all the ‘Microslop’ accusations are starting to sway me and other users. Let me explain.
Shot in the Arm
Before diving into the rise of Linux, there’s good news for Xbox fans who are playing on PC – the Xbox app has finally arrived on Arm-based Windows 11 PCs.
If you’ve got one such machine, Microsoft says you can play 85% of games in the Game Pass catalog of them right now by downloading the app. The company also says Epic Anti-Cheat is functional so players can enjoy Fortnite, Gears of War: Reloaded, and more.
You can check out the latest in Microsoft’s blog post, with the corporate promising extra to come back with Windows.
“Windows and Xbox continue to collaborate across the gaming community, OEMs, silicon innovators and game studios to expand catalog compatibility and deliver a consistently great Windows gaming experience—whether you’re on a powerful desktop, a purpose‑built handheld, or an Arm‑based Windows 11 laptop,” it says.
“Our focus remains on improving compatibility, enhancing performance and delivering experiences that make it easy to jump in and play.”
That’s simply as effectively, as a result of Windows may be up in opposition to its sternest take a look at within the battle for PC gaming dominance.
Pressure Valve
While Xbox has fallen way behind other platforms in the console space, Microsoft still owns the biggest piece of the PC market. According to Steam’s Hardware Survey from December 2025, Windows variations (together with Windows 11, Windows 10, and even Windows 7) make up 94.23% of PC avid gamers.
And but, macOS and Linux are climbing, too. Mac variations now make up 2.18% of the survey outcomes, a slight bounce however undeniably buoyed by Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit rollout and the ability of Apple Silicon.
Linux can also be on the climb, reaching 3.58% throughout all platforms. There’s a superb likelihood that’s due to the arrival of the Steam Deck in 2022, which has given rise to handheld PCs, a lot of which now run (or twin boot) the Linux-based SteamOS.
These are small numbers because it stands, however they conceal the truth that Linux is a extra environment friendly platform for extracting higher efficiency and battery life out of your video games (as Jason discovered in his hands-on testing with the Asus ROG Ally X). The tides are slowly however absolutely turning.
While the Steam Machine may find yourself seeing a delay due to the continuing RAM disaster, it’’ provide a PC-like expertise that might be shorn of the cruft that Copilot has launched. Microsoft retains chasing the dream of AI, however it’s achieved so at the price of a lot of Windows’ core pillars – together with stability.
Gamers are noticing, too. Anecdotally, extra adventurous lovers are beginning to dual-boot into Linux, and even take away Windows completely. Developers and publishers have achieved a few of the heavy lifting already to get video games onto SteamOS, and now even storefronts are having their say.
“I’m really surprised at Windows. It’s such poor-quality software and product, and I’m so surprised that it’s [spent] so many years on the market. I can’t believe it!” Michał Kiciński, the brand new proprietor of storefront GOG.com defined to PC Gamer.
Preaching to the choir, Michal, preaching to the choir.
A gaming Arm race
Despite all this, Windows on Arm would possibly get one other increase for avid gamers with stories {that a} new Nvidia N1 and N1X chip lineup is expected to debut in new Lenovo laptops. Outside of Snapdragon X2 Elite’s improved GPU, this would mark the first real push for Windows 11 gaming on Arm. Will that then improve perception around Windows for gamers? Or is it too little too late?
94.23% of the market share suggests it’s likely to be a positive thing for anyone already on Windows. The Nvidia N1 and N1X chips will also bring Blackwell features to Dell XPS systems if reports are correct.
The advantage would be that the work Microsoft is doing on compatibility will undoubtedly make Arm a more compatible platform. Linux still doesn’t have access to anti-cheat systems across games like Fortnite, Battlefield 6, Destiny 2, or Call of Duty, meaning if you’re heavily invested in any of those titles, Windows (on Arm or not) is still the way to go for you.
There’s an argument that there’s never been a worse time to buy a dedicated games console, too, with the Switch 2 expected to join its Sony and Microsoft contemporaries in raising prices following the AI rush for RAM.
Where do you stand? Are you considering a move away from Windows for your gaming fix? Leaning into consoles? Or staying put and hoping Windows gets better? Let us know in the comments!
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