Understanding the Steam Hardware Survey: The Case of Low Radeon dGPU Representation

The results of the Steam Hardware Survey have sparked a conversation in the gaming community, particularly regarding the surprisingly low market share of Radeon discrete graphics cards (dGPUs). Some may view this subject with skepticism, even calling it a conspiracy, but there’s a legitimate concern that needs addressing.

At the core of the issue is how Steam identifies and represents GPU data, particularly when integrated graphics (iGPUs) are also present in the system. For instance, when a user has both a CPU with an integrated GPU and a high-performance Radeon GPU such as the 9070XT, Steam tends to categorize the graphics performance under the general label of “AMD Radeon (TM) Graphics.” This misclassification skews the survey results, making it appear as though fewer players are utilizing Radeon hardware than is actually the case.

I have previously raised this issue in various forums and reported it through Steam channels, including threads on the beta support forum. It’s crucial for AMD to be aware of this discrepancy, especially as developers often rely on these survey statistics to gauge the hardware landscape of their users. If the data is flawed, it could create an inaccurate portrayal of the market, hindering developers’ ability to optimize their games.

When we delve deeper into the data presented in the survey, particularly the information tagged in red from my initial analysis, the landscape changes significantly. For reference, please check out the supporting images that illustrate this issue more clearly.

Interestingly, a separate observation arises when reviewing the Linux data from the same survey; the results reflect a different distribution of GPU usage, further complicating our understanding.

As it stands, the Steam Hardware Survey indicates that AMD holds about 17% market share. However, the actual representation of Radeon GPUs is likely underreported due to this misclassification issue.

It is imperative that we raise awareness regarding this situation, as the ramifications extend beyond just personal grievances; they affect the entire gaming ecosystem. For those experiencing a similar setup with both integrated and discrete GPUs, the simplest temporary solution is to disable the integrated GPU, which seems to rectify the reporting issue—though this may not be practical for everyone.

To clarify, it has come to my attention that this issue does not exclusively affect Radeon cards; Nvidia users are experiencing similar misreporting, particularly when any integrated GPU is in play. Ultimately, when systems incorporate multiple GPUs, Steam appears to blend their data, leading to inaccuracies in the survey results.

Let