The Steam Hardware and Software Survey for December 2021 has been released, and this monthly tally of the hardware running in Steam users’ rigs shows an increase in use of both Intel CPUs, and the Windows 11 operating system.
For Intel, this is certainly good news. Although the bump in Intel use in December’s survey may seem modest (a growth of 0.82%), it comes after a period where its chief rival, AMD, has been chipping away at its market share.
While Intel still commands a formidable lead over AMD (appearing in 69.27% of Steam users’ PCs, compared to AMD’s 30.71%), this lead has been shrinking over time, mainly due to AMD’s Ryzen processors which have been continuing to get a positive reception from both critics and customers with each release.
This bump coincides roughly with Intel’s release of its 12th generation Alder Lake processors. This was one of Intel’s most successful launches in a while, with critics praising the gaming performance of these new CPUs in particular. The hype surrounding the launch could have helped cause this bump, with some PC gamers keen to upgrade or replace their rigs with the latest Intel tech.
Windows 11 on the rise
There was also good news for Microsoft, as its recent Windows 11 operating system continues to grow in popularity, according to the Steam Hardware and Software Survey. In December, 10.15% of people had Windows 11 installed, an increase of 1.87% over the previous month.
Windows 10 remains by far the most popular operating system, with the 64-bit version installed on 81.74% of respondents’ PCs. The older OS saw a drop of 1.64% from the previous month, suggesting Windows 11’s growth comes from people upgrading from Windows 10, along with new PCs coming with the OS preinstalled.
Microsoft is keen to get as many people moving over to Windows 11 as possible, so the company will clearly be hoping for this swing to continue.
Analysis: what does this mean?
So, the latest set of results are good news for both Intel and Microsoft. However, it’s worth pointing out that the Steam Hardware and Software Survey only collects information from Steam users who agree to sharing their information.
This means that the sample size doesn’t mean this is an overview of everyone with a PC . However, due to Steam’s popularity, it can give us a good idea of what trends are emerging with PC gamers. It’s clear that Windows 11 adoption is continuing, albeit slowly, and Intel’s Alder Lake release has also given Team Blue a bump.
It’ll be interesting to see if Intel’s gains continue in the next survey, or if AMD gets back to clawing away Intel’s market share.
Via Eteknix
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday special filming delayed, but Guardians 3 still on track
Director and writer James Gunn has yet to start filming the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, due to release in December 2022.
Speaking with Collider , Gunn explains that this is due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the Omicron variant simply making it unsafe to film.
"We were supposed to shoot one day in LA, and there's too much Omicron around, so we couldn't do it" says Gunn, adding that he's very excited about the special.
"I'm almost jealous of it, even though I wrote it because people freak out so much on how much they love the script for the holiday special that I'm almost like, 'Well, wait. I've got this movie here I've been working on for two years. You love the holiday special that I literally wrote in a very short amount of time.' But, it is really funny and really good."
The movie Gunn is referring to is Guardians of the Galaxy 3 , which is still set to release in 2023. Little is known about the story, although Gunn shared some praise for Chukwudi Iwuji, who has been cast in an undisclosed role and is also playing a main character in Gunn's Peacemaker series.
"Chukwudi, who plays Murn in Peacemaker, is one of the main characters in the movie and people are freaking out over how good this guy is. Literally freaking out. I think that I'm really happy. I gave a bunch of scenes to Marvel right before Christmas break. Kevin [Feige] went... They were all really, really, really stoked."
He also teases that the movie will be very different to what fans are expecting and that he's really happy with how it's turning out so far.
Space Christmas
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will release exclusively for Disney+ and will serve as part of Phase 4 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe .
Although plot details are scarce, all of the Guardians - Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot - will return, alongside Nebula and Mantis.
Since it's releasing before the third movie, the special could resolve a lingering plot thread from Avengers: Endgame concerning Gamora. While the Gamora of the main timeline died in Avengers: Infinity War, a younger version of her from the past has been left stranded in the present and her current whereabouts are unknown.
How to watch The Green Planet online: watch David Attenborough's latest show from anywhere
Described as “Planet Earth from the perspective of plants”, Sir David Attenborough’s latest documentary series for the BBC once again breaks new ground for nature shows. The are six episodes all available to watch now covering the wonderful lives of plants across deserts, rainforests, water worlds and more. It's a truly superb show that deserves your time. The whole series of The Green Planet is free to watch on BBC iPlayer. Make sure you know how to watch while away travelling abroad from the UK too.
Coming 60 years after the broadcast of the first BBC documentary he worked on, filming for this new five-part series sees Attenborough visit Costa Rica, Mexico, and California.
Exploring plants around the world as we've never seen them before, The Green Planet showcases new filming techniques to offer viewers new insights into the indescribable and sometimes unbelievable intricacies of plant life.
Each episode covers a different theme, with the series set to cover Tropical Worlds, Water Worlds, Seasonal Worlds, Desert Worlds and Human World. But the star of the show could be a special robot camera called “the Triffid” which allowed the show's crew to capture intimate footage of different plants moving and even fighting.
It's an unmissable TV event for nature fans - make sure you're tuned in and know how to watch The Green Planet online by reading our guide below.
How to watch The Green Planet online FREE in the UK
How to watch The Green Planet online when abroad
For anyone abroad right now who still wants to watch Sir David Attenborough's latest incredible documentary you might struggle from outside of the UK. But don't let geo-restrictions come between you and Dave.
Simply downloading and installing a VPN to your device will let you watch The Green Planet on the BBC iPlayer from anywhere. A VPN effectively tricks your device into thinking it's in another location by changing the IP address to elsewhere in the world.
Three simple steps to using a VPN to watch The Green Planet
1. Download and install a VPN - we recommend ExpressVPN
2. Connect to the relevant server location - launch the VPN app, click on 'choose location' and select the right location i UK for iPlayer
3. Head to the chosen broadcaster's live stream - in this case, head to the BBC iPlayer
