Oops: Google has announced an alpha version of Chrome OS Steam, but it’s not ready yet

Google said yesterday that the alpha version of “Steam on Chrome OS”has gone live, but it turns out that Steam on Chromebook isn’t really ready for testing.

During yesterday’s Google for Games developer summit, Google Product Director Greg Hartell said, “Steam’s alpha has just launched, bringing this longtime PC game store to some Chromebook users.”He encouraged people to visit the Chromebook Community Forum for more information. But at that time, as many noticed, there was no alpha or new information there.

While this may have seemed like a low-key announcement about Steam for Chrome OS, which Google hasn’t made known to the public since it announced its partnership with Valve in 2020, it turns out that Haller misspoke. Steam for Chrome OS is not yet available for testing. However, it should be soon.

Hours after the speech, a Google spokesperson posted on the Chromebook community forum saying that the alpha would actually be coming to the developer channel “soon.”A spokesperson noted that a “small set of Chromebooks”would be eligible, but no other details were given.

9to5Google recently discovered code changes in Chromium Gerrit indicating that Chromebook models from HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus support this feature. We’ve also seen work on RGB keyboard support, which could signal how Google and other companies will try to sell the idea of ​​playing PC games on devices that have traditionally been seen as less power-hungry and cheaper alternatives to Windows machines. Notably, these Chromebook models cost over $800 each.

It’s also unclear what the requirements for Steam on Chrome OS will be. 9to5Google last month suggested that the app would need at least an 11th-generation i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, based on findings from Chromium Gerrit.

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