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[Eddie-Griffin]

The article title literally says "RIP gaming laptops?" so more hilarity regarding Google.
https://www.techradar.com/news/chromebooks-with-amd-cpus-can-now-play-steam-games-rip-gaming-laptops

You may be aware that it’s been several years since Google first started talking about supporting Steam games on Chromebooks, and the functionality entered alpha testing earlier this year, but required an Intel CPU.

Now, the project has moved into beta testing, and incorporates AMD processors – but only certain Ryzen 5000 chips. Namely the AMD Ryzen 7 5825C or Ryzen 5 5625C processors, and the Chromebook in question also needs a minimum of 8GB of system RAM too.

AMD notes that some 50 games are part of the initial line-up of Steam titles that can be enjoyed on a qualifying Chromebook.

What kind of games are we talking about? Compatible efforts include Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Civilization V, Half-Life 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, among others.

Analysis: Coolness, but with caveats​

How does this magic work? Well, Steam games are played on a Chromebook using the Proton compatibility layer, which is the same way that the Steam Deck, a gaming handheld running a flavor of Linux as an operating system (SteamOS), is able to run Windows games. (Remember, Chrome OS is Linux-based too).

Clearly, being able to run the Steam client and play PC games on a Chromebook is pretty cool, but there are some caveats to be observed here. Obviously the first is that while this feature has progressed from alpha to beta, it’ll still be rough around the edges, so you can expect to encounter a variety of glitches, hitches and gremlins.

And because compatibility is facilitated by Proton, as you may realize, games using anti-cheat software are going to be problematic (even if the developer has enabled support for Proton, it may not work on Chromebooks – yet).

Furthermore, some games are obviously more demanding than others, so that minimum system RAM of 8GB may not be enough in some cases. Google notes 16GB might be needed for smoother gameplay with some titles (or to run at all, for that matter).

For example, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (pictured top) is one of those games that needs 16GB, and Google further advises to “set graphics and postprocessing to low” in its release launch notes. (Those notes provide not just a list of compatible games and additional requirements in some cases, but also documented known issues, and a roundup of Chromebooks that are currently supported).

Chromebooks are becoming more suited to gaming as we’ve seen in recent times, not just due to this progress with bringing Steam games to the platform, but also thanks to the development of Chromebooks specifically targeting gamers (with decent components, high-quality displays, RGB gaming keyboards and so forth).

As to how these devices compare to a full gaming laptop, well, there’s still some way to go here – but the hope is that Chromebooks can at least make for a decent shot at an affordable alternative way to enjoy gaming on the go.

Basically after failing with multiple gaming products, Google is shifting their last attempt to their Chromebooks, first it was their Android for PC gaming app news from yesterday, which works for every computer including Chromebooks where it's the most marketed.

Now, we have bringing Steam to Chromebooks that have an AMD chip inside of them, and at least 8GB of RAM.

But i don't see the argument for affordability the article writer (who loves Google) is hinting at. If you need a 16GB RAM Chromebook with an AMD to run the Witcher 3 like the article says, that goes for these prices https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Chromebooks/ci/18945?filters=fct_ram_965:16gb

Sure you might be able to shave off $100 or 2 in a sale, but those prices can get you decent gaming laptop in comparison. Most Chromebooks are 4GB to 8GB of RAM, and have weak chips, and a $300-$400 Windows laptop will shit all over those for gaming. If you need to spend more than $700 to get a 16GB Chromebook with decent insides than you can get a laptop with a 3050 or 3060ti for less.

I don't know about anyone else, but this looks like another (and likely the final) failed attempt by Google to enter gaming. They should just maintain the play store to host games from mobile developers, and forget about everything else imo.

 

[feynoob]

Guess google isnt done with gaming, after stadia failure.

 

[HTK]

Google throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.

 

[yurinka]

Guess google isnt done with gaming, after stadia failure.

Google throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.

Google generates more money from gaming than Nintendo, EA, Activision Blizzard or Bandai Namco thanks to Google Play.

 

[feynoob]

Google generates more money from gaming than Nintendo, EA, Activision Blizzard or Bandai Namco thanks to Google Play.

You generate more money, when mobile games have prices like $49.99, $69.99, $99.99.

Its criminally insane, how much these mobile devs charge, and get away with it.

I have seen people spend $5k yearly on certain communities like its normal thing to do.

 

[feynoob]

yurinka​

Here is some prices for a certain gatcha game. The last picture, is the rarest loot box summon. You need 50 pieces or 1 complete scroll to summon. You have 1/300+ chance to get a 5* light and dark unit. So imagine, how people spend on that one.

 

[HTK]

Google generates more money from gaming than Nintendo, EA, Activision Blizzard or Bandai Namco thanks to Google Play.

Maybe so, not a mobile gamer nor do I care about the mobile vaporware personally.

 

[Barakov]

Chromebook still seems like a bad deal compared to a laptop. Also, I'm not going anywhere near Google's OS. It seems like it has massive security issues.

 

[yurinka]

You generate more money, when mobile games have prices like $49.99, $69.99, $99.99.

Its criminally insane, how much these mobile devs charge, and get away with it.

I have seen people spend $5k yearly on certain communities like its normal thing to do.

Same as in the GaaS from console and PC. Or less what some people spend in collector editions in non-GaaS games on console.

But most (around 80-90% depending on the game) mobile game players spend a total a ZERO dollars in games, and on average who pays on a mobile game spends less money on average than in a console or PC game, on average around $20-40 (around $60 in very successful games) in all his lifetime playing the game.

I say that after having worked for many years in back then top mobile F2P publishers and having close friends in several other top mobile F2P publishers including several of the most successful games ever. And even if I worked as programmer or designer, also worked during some years in charge of our communities and directly talking personally with those who spent a lot of money on our games.

Out of the hundreds of millions of people who play these games yes, there are a few who spend a few thousand dollars across the 4-5 years they kept playing that game during hundreds of hours. They basically spend the same money on games and playing the same amount of time than everyone, but decide to play mostly a single game during several years and spend most of their budget for gaming in a single game.

In even more rare cases a few -rich, often paying with a card of his company- spends thousands in a year but yes, in the same way that some people are very rich and decide to buy a Ferrari with their money.

I only saw a handful cases of kids paying a lot of money with dad's card, or with stolen cards, cases where via Apple/Google or via the bank have been refunded / chargebacked. I don't know a single case of addiction or something like that.

 

[yurinka]

Maybe so, not a mobile gamer nor do I care about the mobile vaporware personally.

Over half of people playing games play on mobile, and over half of the money made in gaming is in mobile gaming.

People like you are a niche that only represent a small portion of gaming.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

It's beginning, the death of x86.

 

[Ozriel]

The article title literally says "RIP gaming laptops?" so more hilarity regarding Google.
https://www.techradar.com/news/chromebooks-with-amd-cpus-can-now-play-steam-games-rip-gaming-laptops


Basically after failing with multiple gaming products, Google is shifting their last attempt to their Chromebooks, first it was their Android for PC gaming app news from yesterday, which works for every computer including Chromebooks where it's the most marketed.

Now, we have bringing Steam to Chromebooks that have an AMD chip inside of them, and at least 8GB of RAM.

But i don't see the argument for affordability the article writer (who loves Google) is hinting at. If you need a 16GB RAM Chromebook with an AMD to run the Witcher 3 like the article says, that goes for these prices https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Chromebooks/ci/18945?filters=fct_ram_965:16gb

Sure you might be able to shave off $100 or 2 in a sale, but those prices can get you decent gaming laptop in comparison. Most Chromebooks are 4GB to 8GB of RAM, and have weak chips, and a $300-$400 Windows laptop will shit all over those for gaming. If you need to spend more than $700 to get a 16GB Chromebook with decent insides than you can get a laptop with a 3050 or 3060ti for less.

I don't know about anyone else, but this looks like another (and likely the final) failed attempt by Google to enter gaming. They should just maintain the play store to host games from mobile developers, and forget about everything else imo.

How are you spinning this as ‘an attempt by Google to enter gaming’?
google doesn’t own Steam or get a cut from any game played on Chromebook. It’s just them trying to provide more reasons for people to buy Chromebooks after their market cratered post pandemic.

They make a lot off gaming from Google Play

 

[ArtHands]

Its a “why not, nothing to lose” move for both Google and Steam. Valve wants to find new ways to expand PC gaming while Google wants added value to their devices. I don’t think Google is using this move to get into gaming

 

[LordCBH]

Most chromebooks have absolutely shit tier specs. This is dumb. No one is going to buy a Chromebook for this.

 

[HTK]

Over half of people playing games play on mobile, and over half of the money made in gaming is in mobile gaming.

People like you are a niche that only represent a small portion of gaming.

Bro if you want to be a mobile gamer go for it, nobody is stopping you.

I’m just saying Google is at it again with another “thing” that might fail like a shit ton of their other projects.

You can resume playing Raid Shadow Legends in peace now homie.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Google generates more money from gaming than Nintendo, EA, Activision Blizzard or Bandai Namco thanks to Google Play.

And yet they keep trying to fail entering gaming outside being a hosting platform for other peoples games.

How are you spinning this as ‘an attempt by Google to enter gaming’?

I'm not spinning anything, you're not reading the room here. They have consistency tried to enter the gaming market in some way other than being a play store host. This and there other recent move a couple days ago are trying to prime Chromebooks to be a affordable gaming platform, they already had various changes made to support gaming on Chromebooks months ago, they were originally going to use them as a base for Stadia too until they decided to hold off, which was good because Stadia ended up dying anyway so Chromebooks won't be associated with its collapse.

Chromebooks started using AMD cpus specifically for games in mind because they were planning to bring larger games in which never really happened because they though Stadia would work. So only some browser games really ever gained anything from AMD chips, until now.

 

[Ozriel]

And yet they keep trying to fail entering gaming outside being a hosting platform for other peoples games.



I'm not spinning anything, you're not reading the room here. They have consistency tried to enter the gaming market in some way other than being a play store host. This and there other recent move a couple days ago are trying to prime Chromebooks to be a affordable gaming platform, they already had various changes made to support gaming on Chromebooks months ago, they were originally going to use them as a base for Stadia too until they decided to hold off, which was good because Stadia ended up dying anyway so Chromebooks won't be associated with its collapse.

Chromebooks started using AMD cpus specifically for games in mind because they were planning to bring larger games in which never really happened because they though Stadia would work. So only some browser games really ever gained anything from AMD chips, until now.

Sorry, this makes no sense. You try to enter a market to make money. They aren’t making money from Steam sales on a Chromebook.

This is them putting added value on high end Chromebooks to help drive or sustain hardware sales. Has nothing to do with them taking another crack at gaming.

Try not to obstinately cling to points when you’re corrected.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Sorry, this makes no sense. You try to enter a market to make money. They aren’t making money from Steam sales on a Chromebook.

I don't get how you are understanding they are trying to get gamers to buy Chromebooks, it's incredibly simple and is what they were doing before Stadia took over. Now it's dead they are making a pivot back. You aren't correcting anyone, just trying to push your ignorance as fact because you aren't aware of their actions from before and looking at this specific piece of news in a vacuum, so assuming there's nothing else around it based on nothing and won't bother to do short research on it, which I believe will be continuous.

This is them putting added value on high end Chromebooks

A Chromebook with 8GB ram isn't high-end. They got chromebooks with shit AMD chips in them that will work with their goals and this platofrm. Though some games may have issues due to it being beta.

 

[jaysius]

It's beginning, the death of x86.

Are phones still x86?

It’s not doing anything worthwhile anymore except giving shitty bargain basement hardware makers a cheap way to rip people off.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Are phones still x86?

It’s not doing anything worthwhile anymore except giving shitty bargain basement hardware makers a cheap way to rip people off.

Phones, Apple tablets/PC's are all ARM. Also:

AMD: We Stand Ready to Make Arm Chips

The ARMy grows

www.tomshardware.com

Introducing Grace

A CPU Purpose-Built for Servers Running Terabytes of Data

www.nvidia.com

 

[Daytonabot]

Sorry, this makes no sense. You try to enter a market to make money. They aren’t making money from Steam sales on a Chromebook.

This is them putting added value on high end Chromebooks to help drive or sustain hardware sales. Has nothing to do with them taking another crack at gaming.

Try not to obstinately cling to points when you’re corrected.

Google doesn't give a rat's ass about selling hardware. They care about people using a device where they have easy access to personal data.

 

[yurinka]

And yet they keep trying to fail entering gaming outside being a hosting platform for other peoples games.

They can't fail entering a market that they already entered. And in fact they are one of the key actors of that market.

 

[Ozriel]

Google doesn't give a rat's ass about selling hardware. They care about people using a device where they have easy access to personal data.

...and one surefire way to getting that is selling hardware that runs their software.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

They can't fail entering a market that they already entered. And in fact they are one of the key actors of that market.

They aren't in the market, you're conflating two different markets together that aren't even tracked the same way.

A game developer like Gameloft is tracked differently than Google hosting a platform, same with the Iphone store, that's why when Apple Arcade launched it created a new entry in analysts research.

 

[Puscifer]

ChromeOS is just Linux and it makes sense that if their using AMDs APUs that this is a great way to expand on it.

 

[small_law]

I keep forgetting to check on Stadia refunds. Still not available...

 

[Unknown?]

Fuck Google!! Guess I won't ever get an AMD product and glad my laptop has Intel management engine disabled.