Following Stadia’s demise, Google is still still interested in gaming, and as a result, there is a brand-new Chromebook effort focused on, you guessed it, gaming. In particular, cloud gaming, with Nvidia at the fore as the project’s closest partner. In general, Chromebooks are great for working in the cloud, so it’s no surprise to see laptop manufacturers like Acer, Asus, and Lenovo also jumping on the bandwagon with new Chromebooks made specifically for cloud gaming, including the telltale sign of a proper gaming laptop, RGB keyboards. Cloud gaming has become extremely popular this year with numerous streaming-centric devices coming from companies like Logitech and Razer.
Yes, the one platform that hardly ever has the specifications needed to play challenging games locally will rely on the cloud to satisfy its gaming needs. Gaming laptops aren’t particularly known for having a manageable size that’s perfect for portability, whereas Chromebooks are. In order to persuade customers that using a slim laptop like a Chromebook can be a worthwhile substitute for a full-fledged behemoth of a gaming laptop while still offering noteworthy benefits, like 120Hz displays and Wi-Fi 6/6E support, it appears that the goal of the new Cloud Gaming for Chromebooks initiative is to increase consumer awareness of this.
The Chromebooks that are a part of this new gaming focus will have features that are tailored to gamers, such as an app to connect external controllers quickly. Additional unique OS improvements include the ability to switch between streaming services using the ChromeOS launcher. However, there has been specific collaboration with Nvidia, and the company will be providing a unique subscription tier for these Chromebooks that supports a 16:10 ratio at 1600p, which is a first for the industry, streams that go beyond 16:9. These devices will be platform-agnostic as far as streaming services go (supporting Xbox Cloud Gaming, Luna, and GeForce Now).Anyone using a 16:10 screen for their GeForce Now streaming, including Steam Deck users, may benefit from this new GeForce tier. The best part is that anyone who buys one of these new gaming Chromebooks will also receive three free months of Amazon Luna and GeForce Now.
Of course, whether anyone actually decides to spend money on hardware designed specifically for streaming will determine whether these upcoming Chromebooks and their RGB keyboards are a success. This may be difficult given that the main selling point of streaming games was the ability to play anywhere using existing hardware. Selling new hardware for streaming appears to be a major objective, as evidenced by the recent announcements of a slew of new gaming-focused gadgets, such as Logitech’s G Cloud. Customers’ willingness to pay for new technology will now be in focus as streaming providers like Stadia struggle to pay their bills.
