Steam for Chromebooks is getting axed in 2026 instead of exiting its 4-year beta

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Google does not seem to be making good on its promise to make Chromebooks gaming laptops.

Asus gaming Chromebook pictured up close
(Image credit: Asus, Google)

Steam's beta program for Chromebooks is officially coming to an end on January 1, 2026. As reported by 9to5Google, Chromebook users will now see a pop-up warning when attempting to install Steam, announcing that the beta app will no longer be available at the end of the year.

The notice states: "The Steam for Chromebook Beta program will conclude on January 1st, 2026. After this date, games installed as part of the Beta will no longer be available to play on your device. We appreciate your participation in and contribution to learnings from the beta program, which will inform the future of Chromebook gaming."

A screenshot of a Steam for Chromebook news message pop up on ChromeOS

(Image credit: Valve, Google)

For many gamers, this is probably the first they're hearing there ever was a Steam app for ChromeOS. It launched in 2022 and has remained in beta ever since with few updates from either Valve or Google.

Since ChromeOS is more or less Google's Linux distribution, the ChromeOS Steam app was able to use Valve's Proton compatibility layer to run Windows games, just like on the Steam Deck and other Linux devices.

Of course, it couldn't run many of them, which brings up the core issue with Steam on ChromeOS, and likely the reason the beta app is being shut down. The big hurdle holding Chromebooks back from being viable gaming devices isn't the software.

It's the hardware (really, it always has been). Having the option to install Steam on a Chromebook doesn't change the fact that most Chromebooks simply aren't powerful enough to run most games on Steam.

It's still disappointing seeing the app ride off into the sunset. After all, it's nice to have the option to play Steam games on a Chromebook, however limited the list of compatible titles might be. Gems like Hollow Knight and Celeste can be a surprisingly good experience on Chromebooks, especially if you're trying to get into PC gaming but can't afford high-end hardware.

Unfortunately, that brings up the other nail in the coffin for the Chromebook Steam app. Even if you are gaming on a budget or only have a Chromebook at your disposal, cloud gaming offers far more games than the short list you could play locally on a Chromebook's hardware. If you have a strong internet connection, you can have a pretty seamless experience with cloud gaming, at least for singleplayer titles.

Why bother trying to use Steam when you can access a much bigger library of games on GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming? There's of course one notable omission from those cloud gaming options: Google's own Stadia service, which shut down at the beginning of 2023.

Considering both of those factors, it's hard to be too upset about Steam's departure from ChromeOS. If anything, this was probably inevitable. The same low-power hardware that makes Chromebooks so affordable is also their Achilles heel when it comes to gaming.

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Stevie Bonifield
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Stevie Bonifield is a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories. Outside of writing, Stevie loves indie games, TTRPGs, and building way too many custom keyboards.

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