Valve have released the Steam Hardware & Software Survey for March 2025, and as expected with the Simplified Chinese language dropping the Linux stats have shot back up.
I was puzzled by this too, so I took one for the team and clicked the link. Yes it does appear to mean that there were less users using the Chinese language in this survey than the one for the previous month, which implies fewer Chinese users: “Last month we saw quite a sharp drop for the Linux stats, which coincided with Simplified Chinese once again rising as the language choice on Steam. This is something that happens now and then.”
Seems you got more out of the horrible link than me :) It is bad.
Having been to many a Chinese Internet cafe 网吧 in China and Japan, they have all run windows. I think steam keeps getting blocked or something by the gov as well. You’re right that piracy is very commonplace in China too. I bet it’s a decrease on steam use not windows.
Still, what a weird way to say less Chinese users. Also simplified Chinese is a written language, why don’t they just say mainland Chinese?
I was puzzled by this too, so I took one for the team and clicked the link. Yes it does appear to mean that there were less users using the Chinese language in this survey than the one for the previous month, which implies fewer Chinese users: “Last month we saw quite a sharp drop for the Linux stats, which coincided with Simplified Chinese once again rising as the language choice on Steam. This is something that happens now and then.”
Why there is a link between Chinese users and Windows is an interesting question. Could be related to a higher number of Internet cafés there - not sure if that’s still true but it used to be - and/or greater acceptability and availability of pirated software in China compared to Europe and USA causing reduced demand for free alternatives.
Seems you got more out of the horrible link than me :) It is bad.
Having been to many a Chinese Internet cafe 网吧 in China and Japan, they have all run windows. I think steam keeps getting blocked or something by the gov as well. You’re right that piracy is very commonplace in China too. I bet it’s a decrease on steam use not windows.
Still, what a weird way to say less Chinese users. Also simplified Chinese is a written language, why don’t they just say mainland Chinese?
I would imagine because the language is directly related to the stats, rather then the location of the country persay