Linux fans have been predicting the downfall of Windows and the rise of Linux for a while now, but it looks like Windows is still the king of PC gaming. Even worse for Linux users, it looks like usage rates of the operating system have actually dropped slightly on Steam, dipping below 1 percent of all users.

According to the recent Steam Hardware & Software Survey for the month of April, Windows accounts for 95.81 percent of all users on Steam, with OSX making up a measly 3.15 percent. Meanwhile, Linux users represent only 0.94 percent of Steam, down from 1.05 percent the month before.

Steam is the most popular digital distribution system for PC by far, with millions of users and hundreds of games available, but only a small portion of Steam’s games actually support Linux. With the operating system’s abysmal usage numbers, that seems unlikely to change any time soon.

Can SteamOS make a difference?

A key factor that could change that, however, is Steam’s own Linux-based operating system, SteamOS, which is built off of the Debian 7 distribution.

SteamOS is technically a PC gaming system, but the OS is designed to serve as a living room gaming platform with controller support. Valve claims it is designed to be “a new kind of living room entertainment environment – one that is accessible, powerful and open.”

SteamOS is the backbone of Valve Corp’s new Steam Machines, which are essentially Linux gaming PCs that can either be purchased from a few different manufacturers or built by users themselves.

But even with Steam Machines finally hitting the market later this year, there appears to be little incentive for most developers to go through the trouble of creating a Linux version of their games.

This presents something of a catch-22 for Linux gaming. There are not very many Linux gamers because there are not very many Linux games, and there are not very many Linux games because there are not very many Linux gamers.

Add that to the fact that Oculus VR recently suspended development for Rift on operating systems other than Windows, and it does not look like things will be improving for the few Linux gamers out there anytime soon.

Image credit: miezoo | Steam Community