Chrome OS code change reveals initial list of Chromebooks getting Steam

Google is closer than ever to rolling out support for Steam on Chrome OS. Now, a newly uncovered list details which Chromebooks will initially support Steam.

Spotted by 9to5Google, the list was included in a recent code change submitted to the Chromium Gerrit, an online collaborative tool for reviewing code. The list mostly contains devices from Acer and Asus:

• Volta – Acer Chromebook 514 (CB514-1H)
• Volet – Acer Chromebook 515
• Voxel – Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-3W)
• Delbin – Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5500)
• Drobit – Asus Chromebook CX9 (CX9400)
• Lindar – an unknown/unreleased Chromebook from Lenovo

Moreover, 9to5 discovered that there will be other requirements for Steam. Chromebooks will also need, at minimum, an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU, and at least 7GB of RAM.

It’s worth noting, however, that these are initial requirements and they could change. For example, 9to5 notes it’s seen evidence of Google testing Steam on Chromebooks with 10th Gen Intel CPUs and with AMD chips.

Another interesting tidbit of information is that Nvidia appears to be directly involved with developing Steam support for Chrome OS. The graphics card maker submitted several code changes, according to 9to5, and has also worked on making Chromebooks capable of using a discrete graphics card specifically for Steam.

Considering there aren’t any Chromebooks on the current list that have discrete GPUs, that suggests there will be more Chromebooks coming to the list in the future.

This all marks fairly strong ambition from Google to enable gaming on Chrome OS. We’ve tracked the company’s efforts for a while now, and it may not be much longer until Chrome OS is a potential alternative for PC gaming. That said, Steam support on Chrome OS seems at odds with Google’s struggling Stadia platform — maybe it’s another sign that Google’s moving away from Stadia.

Source: 9to5Google