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[Eddie-Griffin]

https://www.zdnet.com/article/asus-new-vibe-cx34-gaming-chromebook-brings-some-high-end-specs/

Now, Asus is back with the first second-generation gaming Chromebook to hit the market, and looks ready to reverse its decisions from the first round by packing some of the highest-end specs the category has seen yet into its new Vibe CX34 gaming Chromebook.
With 12th-gen CPU options, an updated display and video output, and ample RAM and storage headroom, the CX34 is clearly designed to be a step up from its predecessor in almost every way.

Its inclusion of Asus' trademark ErgoLift hinge means it can also be used in tablet mode for playing Android games from Google's Play Store, or as a configurable gaming display, like in the image above.
Asus hadn't provided any details on potential pricing figures or a release window at the time of writing, but we'll update this post when they do. For what it's worth, the first generation of gaming

Chromebooks launched at around $550-$650. That said, some configurations of the original Vibe CX55 skewed as high as $730, so the top-end versions of the new Vibe CX34 may well skew into the $800 territory.

Specs

• CPU: An Intel Core i3-1215U, Core 15-1235U, or Core i7-1255U
• GPU: Intel Iris Xe graphics (Core i5 and i7 models) or UHD graphics (Core i3 model)
• Memory: 8GB or 16GB of RAM
• Storage: 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB SSD
• Display: 14-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) IPS panel running at 144Hz refresh rate with touchscreen and stylus support
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm audio combo jack, 1 x Kensington lock slot, 1 x microSD card reader
• Webcam: 720p
• Wireless connectivity: Dual-band 2x2 Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2
• Weight: 1.8kg (63 oz)
• Dimensions: 31.95 x 23.49 x 2.09cm

Was originally designed for the failed Stadia platform, but Asus removed the branding at the last second.
https://www.techadvisor.com/article/1445413/asus-chromebook-vibe-cx34-flip.html

That’s bad timing for Asus, which just unveiled the Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip: a Google-powered gaming device that was originally intended to bear the Stadia branding, and still features a white body with bright orange accented WASD keys that are a dead match for the defunct Stadia visuals.


Fortunately Asus had just enough time to adapt to Stadia’s cancellation, announced back in September 2022, and has instead partnered with Nvidia to offer three free months of its GeForce Now streaming service to anyone who picks up the CX34 Flip.

Pricing hasn't been revealed yet, but high-end model gaming Chromebooks usually go for $700-$1000 depending on the specs, and usually the same specs will get you a windows PC laptop for less in many cases. Whether Asus will buck the trend remains to be seen.

The design of this Chromebook has the same color and shading as all the Stadia stuff, but Asus was able to remove the branding before revealing this as a standalone gaming Chromebook.

I'm not sure if there's a big market for gaming Chromebooks as I've noticed there have been less new entrants, but I think price will be the big determining factor for this thing. For streaming you don't need to pay the Chromebook premium, and you can get similar and perhaps better specs with a Windows laptop than a Chromebook for cheaper in most cases, and if you don't care about specs and just want a decent streaming experience, you probably would just get a standard spec Chromebook for $300 instead.

So the only standout thing about this I can see is some proprietary Asus stuff for gaming, and the Harmon Kardon speakers, otherwise, I'm not sure what advantage this has for the consumer unless they really like ChromeOS. This is also I'm hearing about Asus' "famous" ErgoLift hinge which is apparently one of the selling points. The shell looks niceish, and maybe they could have used that for a 4000 series or 3050ti gaming laptop running Windows instead. Seems like a waste of decent aesthetics imo.

 

[RoadHazard]

I don't understand what "gaming Chromebook" even means, considering what a Chromebook is. Is it just for streaming cloud games? The specs seem a bit overkill for that, so... what is this for?

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

I don't understand what "gaming Chromebook" even means, considering what a Chromebook is. Is it just for streaming cloud games? The specs seem a bit overkill for that, so... what is this for?

There are gaming Chromebooks intended to stream and play and download major games.

...at whatever the specs are capable of running those games at.

I mean there are Chromebooks over $1000 so I guess these high-end models are really for people who prefer the simplicity of ChromeOS and don't mind paying for the premium.

If this is about $700 or so as gaming Chromebooks of similar specs go for, $700 can get you a much better gaming windows laptop so like I said, there seems to be a market for people who prefer ChromeOS or are anti-windows and I guess MAC, that seem to buy these things because there are many higher end Chromebook models.

This one in particular was originally Stadia branded so I'm guessing in this case it was made for streaming. The second image has a GeForce now logo on the top right of the screen, but it might be able to run some modern titles at 30fps too,

Google has a whole category specifically for gaming Chromebooks and have been pushing them hard recently, even working on steam support. I guess they aren't giving up just yet.

 

[jshackles]

Can we all agree that this is a fucking retarded way to position a laptop?

 

[RoadHazard]

There are gaming Chromebooks intended to stream and play and download major games.

...at whatever the specs are capable of running those games at.

I mean there are Chromebooks over $1000 so I guess these high-end models are really for people who prefer the simplicity of ChromeOS and don't mind paying for the premium.

If this is about $700 or so as gaming Chromebooks of similar specs go for, $700 can get you a much better gaming windows laptop so like I said, there seems to be a market for people who prefer ChromeOS or are anti-windows and I guess MAC, that seem to buy these things because there are many higher end Chromebook models.

This one in particular was originally Stadia branded so I'm guessing in this case it was made for streaming. The second image has a GeForce now logo on the top right of the screen, but it might be able to run some modern titles at 30fps too,

Google has a whole category specifically for gaming Chromebooks and have been pushing them hard recently, even working on steam support. I guess they aren't giving up just yet.

You can't install Steam and run games on Chrome OS AFAIK (well, maybe Android games). So I guess this is if you run Linux on it? In which case, why are you even buying a Chromebook?

 

[Skifi28]

Gaming chromebook, what a time to be alive.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

You can't install Steam and run games on Chrome OS AFAIK (well, maybe Android games). So I guess this is if you run Linux on it? In which case, why are you even buying a Chromebook?

Actually Google partnered with Steam to bring Steam to Chromebooks natively through ChromeOS.

https://www.lifewire.com/google-and...-steam-to-chromebooks-heres-the-scoop-6825162

Google and Valve have been working to bring a solid Steam build to Chromebooks for several months, and they just crossed a significant milestone.

Google just announced that Steam for Chromebooks has passed alpha with flying colors and is now onto the beta release. This version broadly expands its capabilities, bringing plenty of new features to the table.

As for availability, this version of Steam is no longer tied to the ChromeOS dev channel, allowing anyone with the ChromeOS beta build to download and use the service to download and play their favorite games. The release also supports devices with AMD Ryzen 5000 C-series chips and Intel 12th Gen Core CPUs.

The minimum CPU requirement has been lowered to Intel i3 / AMD Ryzen 3, which Google says "more than triples" the number of supported devices. Steam support has also been built into many recently-released cloud gaming Chromebooks, though the company recommends 16GB of RAM and an i5 / Ryzen 5 or higher CPU for the best local gaming experience.


Increased compatibility is just the beginning here. The ChromeOS Steam beta also adds support for major graphics libraries like DirectX 12 and Volkan 1.3 and features an improved scaling system for better integration with QHD and UHD external displays.

To that end, Google has added 50 new titles to a list of Steam games they recommend as being perfect for playing on Chromebooks, including icons like The Witcher 3, Hades, and Portal 2.

Google has been pushing a lot of other partnerships too, it seems the are trying to positions Chromebook as a niche gaming machine, problem is high-spec Chromebooks in most cases, cost more than the equaling Windows laptop, and Chromebooks seem to dominate best in education.

My thing is, Chromebooks don't really offer any advantage to a windows, or at higher prices windows and mac, for gamers to switch to Chromebook. The only possible advantage are for those who don't like the other two, or who want something very simple and straight-forward for their OS. Outside that, it's questionable who this is targeting and it seems like another failed attempt by Google to try and become a major player in gaming.

Then you have some Windows 11 and 10 laptops running S-Mode which basically makes windows simplified and locks you to the Windows store like a Chromebook anyway, so even that ease of use angle isn't really always an advantage.