From the beginning, Chromebooks were not designed for video games. However, since its inception they have evolved a lot over the years. Thanks to its compatibility with Linux, it is possible play games of Steam in chromebook that are compatible. In this article, we are going to see everything we need to be able to fulfill it.
What are the Chromebooks that can use Steam?
The first thing we are going to need is to have a Chromebook that is compatible with Steam. As of this writing, there are a fair number of Chromebooks out there that are compatible. Next, we will see a list:
- Acer Chromebook 514 (CB514-1W)
- Acer Chromebook 515 (CB515-1W)
- Acer Chromebook 516 GE
- Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-3H, CP514-3HH, CP514-3WH)
- Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-3W)
- Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (CP714-1WN)
- Acer Chromebook Vero 514
- ASUS Chromebook CX9 (CX9400)
- ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5500)
- ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5601)
- ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip
- Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition
- HP Elite c640 14-inch G3 Chromebook
- HP Elite c645 G2 Chromebook
- HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
- HP Pro c640 G2 Chromebook
- IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16
- Lenovo 5i-14 Chromebook
- Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook 14
- Lenovo ThinkPad C14
But we are not only going to need a Chromebook that is compatible. Something else we will have to consider are the hardware features. This includes an 11th generation Intel Core i3/Ryzen 3 or higher processor, at least 8 GB of RAM and Intel Iris Xe graphics.
How to Install Steam on Chromebook
If we meet the hardware requirements, then we can go ahead and download and install Steam. Steam is currently only available on the Chrome OS 108 or later beta channel. So the first thing we’ll need to do is switch to the beta channel in case we’re not here yet.
When we switch to the beta channel we will not lose any personal information, although it never hurts to make a backup copy just in case. We will also have to consider that Chrome OS in the beta channel can be a bit unstable, so we do not recommend installing it on a device that we use for work reasons.
Play Steam Games on Chromebook
When we have Steam running on our Chromebook, we won’t have to do much more to enjoy a huge variety of games. The reason? Simple, Steam on Chrome OS works the same way as other platforms, with the same interface. The games that we have already purchased will be found in the Library tab and we can buy all the new games we want from here. Additionally, taking into account that it is a laptop, we recommend light video games with very few requirements.
Although something that we will have to take into account is that, although all the games work (technically speaking) in reality, not all of them work so well. google made a ready of games that have been tested and found to work great. On the other hand, those games that are not on the list may or may not work.
So, the most important thing we have to consider when playing a Steam game on Chromebook is that we are at the beginning of this functionality. So it will be a matter of waiting a bit and possibly, in the future we will be able to enjoy all the games from this popular video game store on Chrome OS.
