Steam service for Chromebooks will be discontinued in 2026, instead of leaving its four-year beta period.
Steam's beta program for Chromebooks, which launched in 2022, is set to come to an end on January 1, 2026. The initiative, aimed at bringing PC gaming to ChromeOS devices, has struggled to gain traction due to hardware limitations and compatibility issues.
The hardware requirements for Chromebooks are often too modest for many modern games, with even the minimum requirements (Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 with 8GB RAM) being too demanding. The recommended specs (Core i5 or Ryzen 5 with 16GB RAM) are uncommon in Chromebooks.
Steam for Chromebook uses Valve's Proton compatibility layer to run Windows games, but the Linux version of the app has faced software and compatibility hurdles. Many games were not playable or performed poorly, limiting the overall library and user experience.
The Steam app for ChromeOS remained largely under the radar with few updates and little marketing, leading to insufficient adoption to justify continued support. Additionally, ChromeOS is a Linux-based OS focused on web and Android apps, with emphasis shifting toward Android games and cloud gaming services.
After the shutdown, installed games will no longer be playable on Chromebooks, although they remain accessible on other devices linked to the user's Steam account. Google has hinted at a "future of Chromebook gaming" possibly integrating more with Android, but no specific successor to Steam on ChromeOS has been detailed.
Cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming offer a much larger library of games compared to the local Steam app on Chromebooks. It's worth noting that the option to install Steam on a Chromebook does not change the fact that most Chromebooks are not powerful enough to run most games.
Stevie Bonifield, a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories, has interests outside of writing, including indie games, tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), and building custom keyboards.
[1] TechRadar [2] PC Gamer [3] Ars Technica [4] Steam Support
- Despite the end of Steam's beta program for Chromebooks in 2026, it's likely that gamers will continue to search for solutions to run games on these devices due to the hardware limitations even with recommended specifications.
- With fewer PC games playable on Chromebooks and the shift in emphasis towards Android games and cloud gaming services, tech enthusiasts like Stevie Bonifield might look towards smartphones and gadgets, such as tabletops for role-playing games (TTRPGs) or custom keyboards, to satiate their gaming needs.
- The cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming offer a much larger library of games, making them attractive alternatives for Chromebook users who were unable to run games locally before the shutdown of Steam's beta program.
- In light of the poor performance of many games on the Steam app for Chromebooks, technology advancements and improvements in Chromebooks' hardware capabilities or the integration of Android games within the OS could pave the way for a possible successor to Steam on Chromebooks in the future.
