Despite a steady upward trend earlier this year, the latest data indicates that Windows 11 adoption has hit a speed bump. According to Statcounter’s most recent market share report, Windows 11 actually lost ground in May, marking a reversal after months of slow but consistent growth. In April, the operating system accounted for 43.72% of all Windows users globally. By the end of May, that figure had dropped to 43.22%, a decline of half a percentage point. While not dramatic, this dip is significant given that Microsoft is actively encouraging users to upgrade ahead of Windows 10’s end-of-support deadline in October 2025.
Even more surprising is that Windows 10, despite its approaching retirement, gained market share during the same period. Its share grew by 0.25 points to 53.19%, suggesting that many users are still reluctant to make the leap to Microsoft’s newer OS. Whether due to hardware compatibility issues, user preference, or organizational inertia, Windows 10 continues to dominate the Windows ecosystem, and the pace of migration appears to be slowing rather than accelerating. With only about 16 months left before official support ends, this could raise concerns about a large number of PCs potentially running unsupported software well into 2026.
That said, the story is different in the gaming world. Steam’s latest hardware and software survey shows that Windows 11 is now the top choice among gamers, with 58.30% of users running it—a modest increase of 0.46 percentage points from the previous month. Meanwhile, Windows 10’s gaming share has dipped to 37%, down by 1.09 points. This divergence suggests that gamers, who often prioritize newer features and performance improvements, are more willing—or better equipped—to adopt the latest operating systems, especially when paired with new hardware upgrades.
These trends reveal a growing gap between general PC users and gamers in terms of OS adoption, and they highlight the challenges Microsoft faces in pushing Windows 11 to the broader user base. Unless the company makes further moves to simplify the upgrade process or incentivize users more effectively, Windows 10 may remain the dominant Windows platform well into the final stretch of its lifecycle.
