Most Chromebooks Still Lack the Hardware to Run Most Games
In a slightly confusing decision, the Director of Product Management for Chrome OS, Kan Liu, has stated that Google is working to bring Steam to the Chrome OS in his interview with Android Police. Of course, having more options for the consumer is always nice, but this does confound Chromebooks’ niche of being the cheapest laptops in the market. On top of not having the hardware capabilities to run any demanding games, the Google Stadia was advertised as the perfect gaming option for the Chromebook.
However, Liu stated that more powerful Chromebooks, such as those being developed by AMD are coming in works. It is unknown how Google will market these expensive Chromebooks as most consumers investing large sums for a gaming laptop will stick with Windows OS due to its software availability. While Stadia is being advertised as the only option to play triple-A titles on cheap devices like the Chromebook, perhaps this move points to Google not being ready to fully invest in Stadia yet.
This isn’t to say that this move is a bad thing for the general consumer. If Google manages to work its Chrome OS to add as wide of software support as Windows, it could mean a cheaper alternative for the top spot held by Microsoft for a long time. Comparing the price of $260 CAD of the Windows 10 Pro to the free Chrome OS, it’s hard to root against Google here.