When you think of the Chromebook category, the first thought that comes to mind is not necessarily that they are machines for gaming. Yet Google and its partners want to establish ChromeOS as a major player in the industry.
ChromeOS, the operating system for the Chromebook platform, was not designed as a gaming-oriented OS. Instead, it powers inexpensive laptops for work or study. Even so, the technology can be adapted to gaming, and especially to streaming gaming. After all, ChromeOS was first a door to a world of online services and web apps...
The death of Stadia does not cool the ardor of Google
That's why it's not so surprising to see Google and several partners (Acer, Lenovo and Asus) launch Chromebooks designed for cloud gaming. What is more surprising is that the announcement comes a few weeks after the end of Stadia... But maybe that's what cleared up some of the hurdles: Microsoft (Xbox Cloud Gaming), Nvidia (GeForce NOW) and Amazon (Luna) are indeed going to bring their services into these machines. After all, these are also web applications.
© Google
The laptops themselves feature 11th and 12th generation Intel chips (from Core i3 to Core i7). They also feature 15.6- to 16-inch screens with refresh rates from 120 to 144 Hz, as well as Wi-Fi 6 or 6E. As for the rest, the models on display all have some special features: two Harman Kardon speakers on the Asus Vibe CX55 Flip, a 71 Wh battery on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming, or DTS audio on the Acer 516 GE. No need for a big graphics card though, you'll have to make do with an Intel Iris Xe.
A selection of accessories was also presented, also designed by partners including SteelSeries, Corsair and HyperX: controller, headset and mouse. Availability is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. As for prices, they are still unknown.
