Steam recently presented its latest hardware survey, and the December 2023 trends are quite fascinating as Windows 11 is making notable progress, edging closer to Windows 10.
Gamers are gradually embracing higher core count CPUs, and the prevalence of systems with 8GB or less of RAM is steadily decreasing.
While Windows 11 hasn’t captured the broader market’s heart, holding only 26% of the desktop market share compared to Windows 10’s dominant 67%, the gaming community paints a different picture.
In the December Steam survey, Windows 11 gained ground, with 44% of surveyed users on Windows 11 compared to 51% on Windows 10.
This indicates a 4% shift from the previous month. As we anticipate the launch of Windows 12 later this year, Windows 10’s dominance is expected to continue waning in 2024.
Data on physical CPUs can be variable, especially with Intel systems featuring e-cores, but the rise in popularity of eight-core CPUs is noteworthy, now constituting over 20% of the overall share.
While systems with six cores or less still dominate, there’s a clear trend away from dual and quad-core systems and laptops, which are now reserved for the most budget-friendly options. Dual and quad-core laptops are gradually being phased out.
The prevalence of systems with 16GB of RAM is nearing 50%, while those with 32GB saw a slight decline, possibly offset by the introduction of 48GB systems.
Systems with 8GB or less of RAM are on the decline, a predictable outcome given the availability of affordable DDR5 memory kits and gaming laptops shipping with 16GB of RAM. Upgrading to 16GB of DDR4 from 8GB is a cost-effective choice for users with older systems.
As game demands increase, 8GB of RAM is becoming insufficient, especially for multitasking with numerous browser tabs open simultaneously.
Additional noteworthy findings include a rise in Steam users with VR headsets, although still a small percentage at 2.24%. This reflects a 0.4% increase from the previous month, a noteworthy growth of over 20%.
Despite the introduction of RTX 4060 mobile graphics, RTX 40-series models are not gaining significant traction, maintaining Nvidia’s dominance over AMD.
While these trends align with the inevitable shift toward higher system specifications, it’s important to view the Steam Hardware Survey as a rough idea of market share rather than the definitive snapshot. Nevertheless, it offers valuable insights into the hardware preferences of gamers.