Yes, You Can Play on Chromebook
Computer games are rightfully considered a “high-end” computer task. While many games will run on weak or outdated PCs and laptops , the biggest and latest games require powerful hardware and game-friendly operating systems like Windows or SteamOS—features that tiny high-end machines like Chromebook.
That said, despite their meager hardware specs and shabby ChromeOS gaming support, Chromebooks can actually be a viable gaming device…if you have the right setup.
Use cloud gaming services
Cloud streaming is the key to gaming on ChromeOS. Chromebooks can’t play Halo Infinite or Elden Ring natively, but they can play such games via cloud streaming, which remotely connects you to powerful hardware that actually does the hard work. You control the action with a controller or keyboard connected to your Chromebook, and the gameplay is streamed over the web directly to the screen of your ChromeOS device. (Similarly, Android and iOS devices can be used to play the latest PC and console games .)
Several cloud streaming services are available on ChromeOS devices, either through the Chrome web browser or a dedicated ChromeOS app. These include Amazon Luna, Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, Shadow, PlayStation Plus Premium (formerly PlayStation Now), and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
It is important to note that all cloud gaming options are paid services with different features and game libraries. In some cases, you will have to buy or rent the games you want to play (in addition to the monthly subscription fee); others give you monthly access to a collection of games. Some services offer a combination of both options.
Here is a quick overview of the pricing and content options for each service:
- Amazon Luna: The basic service included with an Amazon Prime subscription ($15/month or $139/year) includes an ever-changing library of games. Additional premium “channels” with more games available, $5 to $18 per month.
- Google Stadia: Google Stadia lets you buy a la carte games and stream them without a subscription fee, or you can access the Google Stadia Pro game collection for $10/month (free 30-day trial available).
- PlayStation Plus Premium: The upcoming PlayStation Plus Premium ($18/month) subscription will combine current PlayStation Plus ($10/month) and PlayStation Now ($10/month) services into a single subscription that includes streaming access to a cloud library of over 740 games. from all previous PlayStation home consoles and handhelds, as well as free monthly games to play on PS5. PlayStation Plus will be released sometime in June this year. PlayStation Now cloud streaming is available until then.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: The highest tier of an Xbox Game Pass subscription includes access to cloud streaming for hundreds of Xbox and PC games, available through a rotating collection or purchased by choice (not that not all games on the service support cloud streaming). New subscribers can join for $1 the first month and $15 a month thereafter.
- Unlike other services, GeForce Now (from $10/month) and Shadow (from $30/month) don’t offer game purchases or rentals. Instead, you pay for remote access to powerful PC gaming hardware, where you can play games purchased from an external marketplace such as Steam or the Epic Games Store.
- It’s also worth noting that if you have a gaming PC, an Xbox console, or a PlayStation 4 or 5 at home, you can use the remote play apps from Steam, Xbox, and Sony to play remotely on your ChromeOS device.
The games available will vary by service, so be sure to check out the current collection of each to see which one you like best. Recent ChromeOS leaks indicate that Google will soon let you see what games are available through streaming services with a new game search aggregator on Chromebooks , but the feature hasn’t been officially announced yet. For now, you’ll have to browse each service’s library individually to see what’s available.
While the right service and games are the most important part of setting up cloud gaming on a Chromebook, there are a couple of final items to keep in mind.
You need a good internet connection
Since the quality of cloud streaming depends on your internet connection and not on your device’s actual hardware, you need to make sure your speeds are up to the task. Some services won’t let you subscribe if your download speed is at least 15 Mbps, but that’s just the bare minimum. And for best results, use a wired Ethernet connection, either through your Chromebook’s built-in Ethernet port or with a USB Ethernet adapter. If you’re playing wirelessly, make sure you’re near a Wi-Fi router or using a 5G mobile hotspot. Just remember: input lag, service outages, and graphic quality fluctuations are always possible, even with the best connection.
Consider Input Options
Finally, you want to make sure that you really have control over the games you play. Most PC games require the laptop’s built-in mouse and keyboard, but connecting a full-size keyboard and an external mouse will be more convenient. Many games also support gamepads, which can usually be connected to a ChromeOS device via USB or wirelessly via Bluetooth.
With all of these components, your Chromebook can become a complete cloud gaming solution, giving you access to many of the hottest new PC games (and even many console games) at a fraction of the cost of building your own gaming PC.