Google cuts Steam support; Chromebooks must switch to Android and cloud gaming.

Google cuts Steam support; Chromebooks must switch to Android and cloud gaming.

Steam for Chromebook Beta Concludes

Google has announced that the Steam for Chromebook Beta, launched in March 2022 in partnership with Valve, will no longer be available starting January 1, 2026.

What Happens to Games?

  • Chromebooks that installed Steam via the ChromeOS Launcher will receive a notice stating that all existing games will become unplayable after January 1.
  • Native PC titles that previously ran through ChromeOS’s Linux (Crostini) environment will be removed from the system.

Why Is This Unclear?

Steam for Chromebook was Google’s most ambitious effort to position ChromeOS as a serious gaming platform, competing with Windows PCs, Android, and cloud services.

While the beta demonstrated that Chromebooks could run native PC titles, performance was limited to higher‑end models and a narrow set of compatible games.

Shift From Native Gaming

The shutdown signals a retreat toward cloud streaming and Android apps, effectively ending the experiment without a full public release.

Implications for Users

  • Owners of Chromebooks that relied on native Steam gaming will lose access to those titles next year.
  • There is currently no native alternative for running PC games directly on ChromeOS.
  • The available options are Android titles from the Google Play Store or cloud services such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
  • Providers of cloud streaming may fill the gap, but the offline experience that native Steam gaming offered will be absent.

Future Outlook

On January 1, 2026, all installed games via the Steam platform will be removed from Chromebooks. Users will need to pivot to Android titles or cloud‑based gaming services.

Google hints at future gaming plans linked to ChromeOS’s evolving architecture, which is moving closer to Android. However, no specific replacement for Steam support has been announced.

Expect additional developments at next year’s Google I/O as the company reshapes ChromeOS’s gaming strategy.