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[-] slartibartfast@feddit.uk 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

GamingOnLinux estimates >7% of English language install base for Steam is using Linux (if I'm understanding this correctly): GamingOnLinux Steam Tracker

[-] addie@feddit.uk 0 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, indeed. Steam language breakdown is about 40% English, 30% Chinese, 10% Russian, 5% Spanish, 15% other. Chinese speakers overwhelmingly use Windows rather than Linux, so choosing 'English only' basically doubles the Linux percentage.

I'd be interested to know why Linux has such bad update in Chinese-speaking regions. (It's the lingua franca for much of Asia, so not just China, just largely China.) Obviously, inertia plays a part - easier to move to Linux if you know someone else that can help you, which if there's no-one then you might be a bit stuck. Are the fonts crappy? Are the input methods greatly superior in Windows?

[-] Cricket@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I’d be interested to know why Linux has such bad update in Chinese-speaking regions.

I wonder if language in particular may be a factor hindering Linux adoption there?

  1. How does the documentation for Linux (including forums, how-tos, blogs, etc) available in Chinese dialects compare to what is available in English, and how well does machine translation work for translating the English sources?
  2. The documentation available online for Linux very often involves the command line. How much of a pain is it for people who only speak Chinese dialects to use an English command line? If the commands are available in Chinese, how well do the machine translations of the English documentation sources work for that purpose.

I feel that there are probably significant language barriers that have an effect here, and effectively create a chicken-and-egg problem for Linux adoption, possibly limiting Linux usage to Chinese people who are relatively proficient in English.

For reference, here's an article about what proportion of Chinese people speaks English (it seems to be around 5%?): https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/how-many-people-in-china-speak-english

this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2025
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