Valve's new Steam Machine will make 2026 a massive year for Linux

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ZDNET key takeaways

• Valve is set to release a new gaming console in 2026.
• The Steam Machine will run the Linux OS.
• The console also doubles as a PC.

According to Gaming On Linux, the market share for Steam on Linux hit a high of 3% in 2025. Although that sounds paltry to some, for the Linux community, it was a major milestone because it proved that Linux is gaining ground in the gaming world.

I feel almost silly celebrating such a low number, but given how long I've been covering Linux, I've seen that number below 1%. It's been a slow climb up a very large hill.

When I first started with Linux, playing games was limited to a scant few, mostly along the lines of solitaire. A few years later saw ...