Steam For Chromebooks Is Reportedly Being Discontinued

The dream of Chromebooks that double arsenic gaming laptops appears to beryllium connected its past legs. 9to5Google reports that Google is ending support for Steam for Chromebooks starting January 1, 2026. Porting nan exertion launcher was portion of an extended push from nan institution to make Chromebooks a spot to play games. Companies for illustration ASUS and Acer announced and released gaming Chromebooks, but nan thought ne'er seemed to drawback on.

Google's scheme to discontinue Steam for Chromebooks was discovered erstwhile 9to5Google tried to instal nan launcher connected a caller laptop. "The Steam for Chromebook Beta programme will reason connected January 1st, 2026," a caller announcement sounds erstwhile you download Steam. "After this date, games installed arsenic portion of nan Beta will nary longer beryllium disposable to play connected your device. We admit your information successful and publication to learnings from nan beta program, which will pass nan early of Chromebook gaming."

Engadget has contacted Google and Valve for confirmation that Steam for Chromebooks is being discontinued. We'll update this article if we perceive back.

Reports that Steam would yet beryllium disposable connected ChromeOS started as acold backmost arsenic 2020. The associated effort to larboard nan launcher to Chromebooks was a astonishment announcement astatine GDC 2022. Google released a Steam alpha that March, which yet worked amended than expected. A beta type of nan app came a fewer months later successful November, adding support for respective caller Chromebooks. The app has existed successful beta since then, without immoderate awesome updates from Google aliases Valve.

One logic Google could beryllium giving up is that the number of games that tin really tally connected Chromebooks is limited, acknowledgment to nan underpowered CPUs and integrated graphics that astir ChromeOS devices use. Valve's Proton compatibility software — which helps Windows games tally connected nan Linux-based Steam Deck — is technically disposable for Chromebooks, but it can't dress up for a deficiency of processing power.

Without Steam, utilizing either NVIDIA GeForce Now aliases Xbox Cloud Gaming is nan champion action for moving modern console and PC games connected your Chromebook. ChromeOS tin besides runs Android apps, but past you person to beryllium comfortable playing what you tin get from nan Play Store.