Liam @ GamingOnLinux 🐧🎮Linux smashes past 5% on the Steam Survey for the first time https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/04/linux-smashes-past-5-percent-on-the-steam-survey-for-the-first-time/
Nazo@gamingonlinux With what Windows is currently doing to its users I think it's sickening that the most viable alternative is a mere 5%. Where is the line for people?
But any improvement is at least a step in the right direction, even if it is positively glacial.
Nick@nazokiyoubinbou this is only about those gaming on Steam and actively participating in the survey. You might expect Linux users to far more frequently decline such survey, also other surveys show Linux use overall higher than 5%(depending on country and region). Finland has been at around 15% for a while. @gamingonlinux
@nickneumann @gamingonlinux That's a good point. I generally block a whole lot of stuff myself (though I did allow at least one Steam survey on principle that I wanted them to see I was on Linux now.)
@nazokiyoubinbou generally speaking one could argue that the survey data is not personal data.
Altought Steam knows what you use even if you don't answer it.
You get an overview of your Platforms in the Steam replay(yearly review whatever they call it), unless it's 100% only on one platform.
Also if you have set SteamOS&Linux as preferred shop systems/filter devs will see you showing up as Linux user among their wishlisted users(i.e. X% of users wishlisting your game use Linux)
Altought Steam knows what you use even if you don't answer it.
You get an overview of your Platforms in the Steam replay(yearly review whatever they call it), unless it's 100% only on one platform.
Also if you have set SteamOS&Linux as preferred shop systems/filter devs will see you showing up as Linux user among their wishlisted users(i.e. X% of users wishlisting your game use Linux)
@nickneumann @gamingonlinux Survey data collects quite a lot of system data — enough to generally be uniquely identifying. Remember, GPU alone tells a lot. (In fact it probably has serial numbers and such, so it may be just straight up uniquely identifying.) Add this to payment info or etc and, well, you get the idea.
I mean my point wasn't "gee I think Steam is grabbing so much info" just "in general I tend to avoid anything that gathers any info" which, as your previous post pointed out, a lot of Linux users in general tend more towards but you can't really claim that it doesn't get anything personal in there at all.
@nazokiyoubinbou of course not. But serial numbers are not part of the survey.
So from the publicly viewable data noone can deduct its you.
As for Valve, they already know who your are(if you pay with CreditCard etc), and they know when you are online, on which platform etc.
In the past you could even get platform playtime into about others if their profile was public(via SteamDB etc), now only via the SteamReplay IF shared publicly(or to friends).
So from the publicly viewable data noone can deduct its you.
As for Valve, they already know who your are(if you pay with CreditCard etc), and they know when you are online, on which platform etc.
In the past you could even get platform playtime into about others if their profile was public(via SteamDB etc), now only via the SteamReplay IF shared publicly(or to friends).
@nickneumann I'm sorry, I really don't understand what this conversation is. You said Linux users might be less likely to click on said surveys. I said "yeah, I think you make a good point" and mentioned why I might be less likely to click. Now you're arguing with me that I'm wrong and I'm not less likely to click on said surveys and you were wrong in your initial post (so you're arguing with yourself too or something.)
Let's just... move on from whatever this is.
@nazokiyoubinbou sorry I didn't know why I continued answering, guess I tried to point out why Valve doesn't really get any new data with the survey. And how it is ironic that they ask for permission there.