Steam is finally coming to Chrome OS: Find out all details here
November 25, 2022
Well, to tell the truth, this was a distant dream for many. A couple of years ago, you would have surely been labeled as crazy if you had asked about gaming on Chrome OS or Linux.
One of the biggest criticisms of Chromebooks was their lack of gaming capabilities, a fact that has led Google developers to update some of their most recent devices (with Chrome OS technology) to give users the ability to enjoy their favorite video games on their Made by Google machines.
Steam Beta is already here!
The first to upgrade was Linux, who with the help of Proton made this dream come true, and well, we are currently witnessing a similar scenario with gaming on Chrome OS since, as you read above, Steam Beta is finally coming to Chrome OS!
What’s more, by the time you’re reading this, you’ll know that Steam Beta is now enabled for Chromebooks running Chrome OS Beta (108.0.5359.24) or higher.
Although system requirement restrictions still apply, this Steam Beta build requires at least 8GB of RAM, a Ryzen 3 5000 series processor or above, or an Intel 11th generation processor or above.
But don’t worry, because the list of supported devices has also been expanded from six Chromebooks to a current total of 20. And simultaneously, the game listing was also expanded to 100 games from just 20.
Of course, most of these titles do not have anti-cheat and therefore run out of the box. Also, with no support for Easy Anti-Cheat and Battleye, there could be performance issues with Chromebook models that have 8 GB of RAM.
Now, external monitoring and scaling could also have problems or not work at all in some cases. But if you have more questions and want to learn more about Steam Beta on Chrome OS, you can visit the official project page right here.
Which Chromebooks are compatible with Steam?
We mentioned earlier that Steam can only be enabled on a select set of Chromebooks with high-end components, so take note:
- Acer Chromebook 514 (CB514-1W)
- Acer Chromebook 515 (CB515-1W)
- Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-3W)
- Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5500)
- Asus Chromebook CX9 (CX9400)
- HP Pro c640 G2 Chromebook
- Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook 5i
Confused state of Gaming on ChromeOS
Well, on one side, we have Google and Valve trying to push Steam onto Chrome OS. On the other hand, we have the same company pushing Chromebooks for gaming directly into the cloud.
This has honestly generated a bit of confusion among the audience, as, from a user’s point of view, it can only beg the question: is there a possibility that we will see future Chromebooks with dedicated GPUs, or is Google trying to rely on the Thunderbolt port on eGPU devices?
Ultimately, whatever the case may be, for now we can only say that the current state of gaming on Chrome OS is clearly confusing. But, what do you think: would it be in the company’s best interest to keep its cloud gaming project going, go the dedicated GPU route, or try something completely different? Either way, the arrival of Steam to Chrome OS is a fact that has more than one user surprised and expectant.
