Steam Survey Signals Intel Comeback While AMD Takes a Step Back

While AMD has confirmed that the Steam Machine shipping window remains unchanged, hardware constraints appear to have pushed back detailed launch plans. At the same time, new data from Valve highlights an interesting shift in the PC gaming CPU landscape.

As reported by TechPowerUp, Valve has released the January edition of the Steam Hardware and Software Survey, showing Intel posting its first CPU share gain in several months.

Intel’s Steam decline pauses in January

Intel’s consumer CPU share among Steam users rose to 56.64% in January, up 0.25% compared to December. This increase breaks a steady downward trend that began after September, when Intel still held 58.61% of the market.

The following months showed consistent declines, with Intel dropping to 57.82% in October, 57.30% in November, and 56.39% in December. January’s reversal suggests Intel’s losses may have stabilized, hinting at a possible short-term rebound in the consumer CPU segment.

AMD sees a small pullback after months of gains

AMD recorded a modest decline in January, with its CPU share slipping by 0.19% to 43.34%. Despite this dip, AMD remains well ahead of where it stood just a few months ago.

AMD’s share climbed from 41.31% in September to 43.53% in December, before easing slightly in January. Much of this growth has been driven by strong demand for Ryzen 9000X3D processors, which have become a popular choice among PC gaming enthusiasts.

Intel’s current Arrow Lake CPUs have faced early criticism, particularly regarding gaming performance. However, ongoing price cuts and firmware updates have helped improve both perception and real-world results.

Attention now turns to the rumored Arrow Lake Refresh, expected around March or April. Leaks, including references to a Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, suggest higher out-of-the-box frequencies and additional tuning aimed at addressing current shortcomings. If these improvements land as expected, they could play a role in shaping future Steam survey results.