Most people here aware about Steam survey, but probably many are not aware that Unity has also started collecting similar data since some times ago. Geared more toward indie games and casual players, it paints quite similar pictures with what Steam survey reveal.
On windows platform in particular, NVidia dominance over AMD + Intel is even more overwhelming. Which is funny, when you would naturally think that on the lower to mid end spectrum of hardware install base IGP should eat more into discrete graphics market share.
http://hwstats.unity3d.com/pc/index-win.html
- Windows 7: 77.8%
- Windows XP: 10.3%
- Windows 10: 7.7% WTF It was free for a year
- Windows 7: 77.8%
- Windows XP: 10.3%
- Windows 10: 7.7% WTF It was free for a year
As I understand it, if we are referring to IwannaCry, the majority of affected users were Win7 users. W10 should have been affected too, but IIRC W10 forces patching which they've been accused of malpractice for. Where with win7 users could disable it, and truthfully a great deal of pirated users would have done exactly this because software patching would have discovered that they were not using a genuine copy of windows. I would know, this was once upon a time for me when I was in the university years.People would rather run virus infested software that they are used to than try something new.
is this a side effect of piracy affecting both surveys? No one wants to admit it, but they should have put that question on the steam survey.
I think what matters regarding discrete shares between AMD and NVIDIA are the ratios, different survey will target different demographics (Unity targets people with iGPUs, while Steam aims for the AAA dGPU market), as such percentages will change, but ratios likely remain stable. In the Steam survey NV to AMD ratio is 3:1, in Unity it's 4:1. So at least we can now somewhat validate the 3:1 ratio of Steam.That actually shows a lower share of NV GPUs than the Steam Survey. But that makes sense when considering that the Windows Store has a greater percentage of people using Intel GPUs.
I think what matters regarding discrete shares between AMD and NVIDIA are the ratios, different survey will target different demographics (Unity targets people with iGPUs, while Steam aims for the AAA dGPU market), as such percentages will change, but ratios likely remain stable. In the Steam survey NV to AMD ratio is 3:1, in Unity it's 4:1. So at least we can now somewhat validate the 3:1 ratio of Steam.
In fact, if you only calculated the Windows results + Windows Store numbers in the Unity survey, the market share will be like this:
AMD 12%
NVIDIA 39.5%
Intel 48.5%
The ratio is now 3:1, just like Steam numbers.
Didn't notice that to be honest, but it's adjustable ..Ah, I see, you just added them then divided by 2. That isn't going to result in correct numbers as Windows Store represent just a 35.7% of Windows machines in the Unity hardware survey and not 50%.
Most of the simpler indie games using Unity are probably being sold within the windows store, where Intel has 79% of marketshare, AMD has 12% and nvidia has 8%. This does fit within the lower to mid-end spectrum with IGPs that you mentioned.On windows platform in particular, NVidia dominance over AMD + Intel is even more overwhelming. Which is funny, when you would naturally think that on the lower to mid end spectrum of hardware install base IGP should eat more into discrete graphics market share.
GPU performance in Android SoCs will probably keep increasing in performance because of cardboard/daydream VR games.There really isn't much demand there for a high powered GPU outside of Apple. And even there, I wonder if they'll continue to push the mobile envelope WRT GPU power as hard as they did in the past with their partnership with PowerVR? I suspect they will, if for no other reason than bragging rights, but there's a possibility they may settle for doing just enough to remain at the top of the mobile SOC world.
Yes, Android is a mess regarding software updates. You either stop getting software updates after less than a year (two if you're lucky enough to purchase a phone that ends up being very popular) or you lose tens of hours trying to understand how to change your ROM into one that is more recent but voids your warranty, and eventually kill your phone in the process.I think the Android situation illustrates quite well how unlikely it is for a mobile game developer to target the latest generation of GPUs and their features.
Steam Hardware Survey is definitely very bogus and we've known that for a while.
And it's not the proportion between GPUs of different brands that makes it completely unbelievable, it's the percentual change between each month that frequently puts very old GPUs taking large jumps in marketshare. This month is no different.
Until we understand the reason(s).
Possibility one. Selling second hand, recycled and repaired hardware to emerging markets is observable since years. The number of NICs grows and there is a growing number of people able to affort those goods. Hence, computer originally used for for example office needs, which are available in massive quantities through these channels, are repurposed in these markets, in which the people also have a growing desire for entertainment and leasure, as their economic situation becomes more stable.
Here's a possible alternative. In Dota 2 there are boosters, people that create an account to bring to level X, and then sell it. I assume this is the case for all MMOs, why not when it's money. Which means one machine possibly has say 100 accounts originally associated with it. The boosters are mostly russians and chinese. Which again relates to NICs and that decent computers are super expensive in these regions etc., and that they are channeling second hand stuff in various ways into the country (see above).
The results are just counter-intuitive, but certainly not wrong, like "iron can float". (edit: uhm I don't want to go into the discussion that yes according to the meaning of used semantics and physical laws iron actually can float, sorry)
Steam Hardware Survey has been shown over and over again to be FUBAR at least when it comes to graphics cards.Two views of the same marketplace:
- market share reports describing boards moving off of shelves today
- steam survey showing the shape of the active installed base
Again, people here and elsewhere have given logical reason as to why there are counter intuitive results for old hardware in particular, like the sudden uptake in the second hand market, people switching sides (from NV to AMD or vice versa), market share shifts .. etc.No, a single HD 8800 -model sold pre-installed in OEM-machines for a year is NOT used more than the several HD 7800 -models sold retail for several years and OEMs for year.