You can play PC games from the Steam store if you own one of the 35 models that support Steam on ChromeOS, though it’s still in beta.
The two-tone gray lid of the Acer Chromebook 526 GE laptop is visible when it is open, facing away and to the left. It is seated on a wood table with a blue couch behind it.
One of the newest models to support Steam on ChromeOS is the Acer Chromebook 516 GE.
With the aid of game developer Valve, Google is attempting to change the perception that laptops running ChromeOS are endurance champions. The two created the ChromeOS Dev channel in 2022 to test an alpha version of Valve’s Steam game store on Chromebooks. With support for more devices, more games, and an enhanced user experience, it has now transitioned from the unstable Dev channel to the ChromeOS Beta channel.
The platform is already compatible with Android games, and cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now allow you to play AAA games. You can do more with these computers, though, because you can play Steam games.
Support for devices with AMD Ryzen 5000 C-series and Intel 12th-generation Core CPUs was added with the beta release. Additionally, Core i3 and Ryzen 3 processors, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage (or more) were added to the list of minimum CPU requirements. For optimal performance, Google still suggests an i5 or Ryzen 5 processor with 16GB of RAM. Currently, Steam on ChromeOS is officially supported on 35 Chromebook models.
Chromebook 514 from Acer (CB514-1W)
Chromebook 515 from Acer (CB515-1W)
Chromebook 516 GE from Acer (CBG516-1H)
Acer Chromebook CB514-3H/3HT
Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (CB515-2H, CB515-2HT)
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-3H, CP514-3HH, CP514-3WH)
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-3W)
Acer Chromebook Spin 714
Acer Chromebook Vero 514
Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip
Asus Chromebook CX34 Flip (CX3401)
Asus Chromebook CX3402CBA
The CX9 Chromebook from Asus (CX9400)
Flip CX5 Asus Chromebook (CX5500)
Flip CX5 Asus Chromebook (CX5601)
CM34 Flip Asus Chromebook Plus
The Asus Vibe CX34 Flip Chromebook (CX3401)
The Asus Vibe CX55 Flip Chromebook
The Dell Chromebook 5430
The Dell 5430 Chromebook 2-in-1 Chromebook Edition is a framework laptop.
HP Chromebook 15.6 inch
HP Chromebook x360 14 inch
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook
HP Elite c640 14 inch G3 Chromebook
HP Elite c645 G2 Chromebook
HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 Lenovo 5i Chromebook 16” / IdeaPad 5i Chromebook 16 Lenovo 5i-14 Chromebook
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook 14” / IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook 14″
Lenovo Slim 3i Chromebook Plus 14
Lenovo ThinkPad C14 Gen 1 Chromebook
Steam running on an Acer Spin 713
Hundreds of PC games are now supported through Steam on ChromeOS.
If you have one of these Chromebooks, you can access the beta-quality version of Steam on ChromeOS. You’ll have to switch to the Beta channel which is a simple to accomplish. Open the settings menu on your Chromebook and search for “Channels” at the top of the window. Click on Channels and pick Beta. The Chromebook will start to download the beta version of ChromeOS. Once the update has downloaded and installed, you’ll then need to restart the Chromebook and it will be in the Beta channel (ChromeOS 108 or later). You’re currently just two steps away from downloading Steam.
1. Open a browser window and visit to chrome://flags
2. Search for #borealis-enabled and set it to Enabled
3. Open the ChromeOS launcher (click the button in the lower-left corner of the screen)
4. Search for “Steam” and select the app when it appears in the results
5. Follow the setup process to install Steam and sign into your account
Google offers the complete setup instructions on the Chromium.org forums. You’ll also discover a list of known issues as well as all of the games presently supported. It’s a rather large list, including Portal 2, Dota 2, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Stardew Valley, Terraria, Hades, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition.
When available, Chrome OS will run the Linux version of games. Other games utilize Steam Play’s compatibility tool called Proton. The portable gaming gadget Steam Deck also uses it. When combined with the superb Steelseries Stratus Plus Bluetooth controller for Chromebooks and Android, the Acer Chromebook 713 I tested with really had a reasonably smooth gaming experience.
Keep in mind the system requirements mentioned above if you’re currently looking for a Chromebook and believe you might want to utilize Steam once it’s completed and available to the general public. Make sure you have enough storage space to store your games as well. High-capacity storage drives are not usually seen in Chromebooks, but Steam support may make that change.