In the early 1990s, Doom was famously installed on more PCs than Windows itself—but how many was that, actually?
In the early 1990s, Doom was installed on more PCs than Windows, highlighting its immense popularity. This phenomenon occurred before the launch of Windows 95, which significantly boosted Windows' user base. The shareware model used by id Software allowed Doom to be downloaded millions of times, contributing to its widespread presence.
- ▪Doom was installed on more PCs than Windows 3.1 in the mid-1990s.
- ▪The shareware version of Doom was downloaded 20 million times according to a 1996 interview.
- ▪Microsoft sold about 10 million copies of Windows 3.0 between 1990 and 1992.
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Gaming Industry In the early 1990s, Doom was famously installed on more PCs than Windows itself—but how many was that, actually? Features By Wes Fenlon published 20 May 2026 Re-examining an old quote from Valve's Gabe Newell reveals a big gap in what we know about Doom's popularity. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: id Software, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter We all know Doom was so popular, so monumental, that it changed videogames forever.
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