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[jshackles]

Google casually announces Steam for Chrome OS is coming in alpha for select Chromebooks

The long-awaited availability of Steam on Chromebooks was just more or less announced today in alpha at the 2022 Google for Games Dev...

9to5google.com

It's been in the works for a few years now, it seems.

Google specifically said that the “Steam Alpha just launched, making this longtime PC game store available on select Chromebooks for users to try.”

Still pretty light on details, but seems it should be rolling out soon.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

But why? I don't imagine most chromebooks have the specs to run 80% of the stuff on steam

 

[RoadHazard]

To run... what? Browser games? I guess it's Linux though, so Linux games?

 

[DrAspirino]

But why? I don't imagine most chromebooks have the specs to run 80% of the stuff on steam

Contrary to what most people believe, AAA games are not the bread and butter of steam. In fact, I'd say it's completely the opposite: 20% are AAA games while 80% are games that even a toaster can run.

 

[DZ_b_EZ]

What would be the point? That hardware isn't all that capable.

 

[jshackles]

But why?

I personally find this news funny, because when I was actively developing Enhanced Steam I used to get a lot of hate mail about my extension "not working on Chromebooks". As in, they went to the Google Web Store, searched for Steam, came up with Enhanced Steam as the first result, installed it, and were baffled that it wouldn't let them play their Steam games on ChromeOS. To this day, the 1-star reviews still give me a chuckle.

So... I guess there's a market for this?

 

[CamHostage]

What would be the point? That hardware isn't all that capable.

Besides low-end games (of which there are legion,) Chromebooks are pushing into the higher spec category. Chromebook will always focus on power consumption and efficiency, and no Chromebook currently comes with the kind of dedicated GPU to do any 'real' gaming (there's been talk of dedicated graphics card units in Chromebook models for a while now, both from the ARM and Intel sides, but I believe that's still not happening,) but there's Chromebooks out there with 11th-gen i5 Intels instead of Pentium or ARM cellphone processors. Still not enough (Steam Deck would still blow past the best Chromebooks out there,) but the format is making moves into that territory.

(It's actually getting kind of frustrating to a cheap-o like me, since you used to be able to buy one for around $100 to beat the hell out of until it breaks, but now the bottom-tier seems gone and most are shooting for the same pricetags as student laptops. There's Chromebooks carrying a pricetag of a $grand out there.)

Here's somebody sideloading a variety of 360-era Steam games on an older Chromebook (8th-gen i3, 8GB RAM.) It makes your point better than it does mine, but I think it shows what portions of the Steam library might work on Chromebook.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

No reason not to. It's the same strategy as MS is trying with their streaming. Get your shit everyhwere.

 

[adamsapple]

This is probably a big deal, let's see how it pans out.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

This is the continuation of the Steam Link project. They have been testing streaming (your steam library from THEIR hardware) for a while.

Maybe we will see some Steam tiers toward the end of the year that provide different levels of stream quality for your Steam library.

 

[Holammer]

But why? I don't imagine most chromebooks have the specs to run 80% of the stuff on steam

Useful if Valve dips its toe in streaming.

 

[Notabueno]

Wow so it's happening. Steam and Google have finally landed a first step in their on-going negotiation to bring Steam to android.

I wonder what's the cut deal.

 

[The_hunter]

Aren't chromebooks ARM? Can they even run x86 applications, or are there wrappers like for Wine and Windows?

 

[Zannegan]

Feels like they're dipping their toes in the water before Android. That or they're really after that college student market.

 

[Codes 208]

Contrary to what most people believe, AAA games are not the bread and butter of steam. In fact, I'd say it's completely the opposite: 20% are AAA games while 80% are games that even a toaster can run.

Many games on steam like Phasmophobia are not AAA games but would absolutely make a basic chromebook shit itself in terms of recommended specs.

 

[Pejo]

Maybe to enable Steam streaming in your house?

 

[theHFIC]

And it will probably have better support than the atrocious Mac version of Steam I've been having to slum with all these years.