Google responds to Steam coming to Chrome OS — 'coming soon'

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Steam Alpha to arrive on a 'small set of Chromebooks' soon

Acer Chromebook Spin 713
(Image credit: Future)

Google's Game Developer Summit sneakily slipped in the exciting announcement of Steam coming to Chrome OS, and an alpha-quality version of the popular gaming platform is set to arrive on a select few Chromebooks soon.

While the Summit focused on key features such as bringing Android gaming to PC, viewers got a glimpse of the long-rumored Steam client (previously known as Project Borealis) arriving on Chrome OS. Google didn't delve into this, but Chromebook Community Manager Alisha offered a small update on when to expect the platform to arrive. 

"As you may have already heard, our team is working with Valve to bring Steam to Chrome OS," Alisha stated in the Chromebook Forum. We are very excited to share that we’ll be landing an early, alpha-quality version of Steam on Chrome OS in the Dev channel for a small set of Chromebooks coming soon. Please come back to the forum for more information!"

(Image credit: Google)

This is mainly for the Dev channel, so this small set of Chromebooks will give developers a chance to check out Steam Alpha. According to a report on 9to5Google, Google has a timeline for when Steam on Chrome OS will ship, along with a list of Chromebooks and minimum specs that will support the platform.  

As stated, Chromebooks will need to have at least an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU and a minimum of 7GB of RAM. Chromebooks include the Acer Chromebook 514 and 515, Acer Chromebook Spin 713, Asus Chromebook Flip CX5, Asus Chromebook CX9, HP Pro c640 G2 Chromebook, and more. This is only an initial list and is expected to grow closer to the official release of Steam on Chrome OS.

We can't wait to see how Steam runs on Chrome OS, as it will see a few more gamers hopefully play some of the best PC games rather than the current best Chromebook games available. 

Darragh Murphy
Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.