Another requirement is that you must run Chrome OS 14583.0.0 or later, according to Google. Any Chromebook powered by an ARM processor will not work, which means that a majority of Chrome OS users will be left out.Įven if you meet the hardware requirements currently, one thing that’s preventing Steam from reaching a larger Chrome OS population that has been starved of premium gaming is that Steam is only available as part of an early alpha release on the Dev channel. Google said that an Intel Core i3 paired with 4GB of RAM will not work, and even certain supported configurations will encounter some issues. 9to5Google last month suggested that the app would require at least an 11th-gen i5 CPU and 8GB of RAM, based on Chromium Gerrit findings.Google has listed the following Chromebook models as compatible with Steam: 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, and the Lenovo 5i-14 Chromebook. It's also unclear what the requirements for Steam on Chrome OS will be. Notably, these Chromebook models cost over $800 each.

We've also seen work on RGB keyboard support, which could signal how Google and other companies will try to sell the idea of playing PC games on devices traditionally viewed as lower power, cheaper alternatives to Windows machines. Recently, 9to5Google spotted code changes in the Chromium Gerrit pointing to Chromebook models from HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus as supporting the feature. It should be soon, however.Ī few hours after the keynote, a Google representative posted on the Chromebook community forum to say that the alpha will, in fact, hit the dev channel 'soon.' The rep noted that 'a small set of Chromebooks' would be eligible, but no other details were given.

Steam on Chrome OS is not yet available for testing. While it may have seemed like a low-key announcement for Steam on Chrome OS, which Google hasn't updated the public on since announcing the Valve partnership in 2020, it turns out that Hartrell misspoke. But at the time, as many noticed, there was no alpha or new information there. Google yesterday said that the 'Steam on Chrome OS' alpha had launched, but it turns out that Steam on Chromebooks isn't actually ready for testing.ĭuring the Google for Games developer summit keynote yesterday, Google product director Greg Hartrell said, 'The Steam alpha just launched, making this long-time PC game store available on select Chromebooks for users to try.' He encouraged people to visit the Chromebook community forum for more information.

Chrome os steam link