Can you run Steam on Chromebook?

Best option: Cloud gaming service (works).

Not verified yet. Sources conflict. Google's Chromebook Help page still describes Steam for Chromebook (Beta) as in development with install steps, and Valve's About page still lists ChromeOS. Press reports from August 2025 quote an in-app notice that the beta would end on 1 January 2026, after which installed games would no longer be playable. Check on a Chromebook before indexing.

Official betaOfficial beta

Steam for Chromebook has only ever been a beta. Google and Valve pages still list it, but press reports say Google ended the beta on 1 January 2026.

Sources: Google Chromebook Help, Tom's Hardware, Valve · Checked , not verified

Official platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux (all Steam platforms)

What works instead

RouteResultCost
Cloud gaming service Works Free tier, paid upgrades

Cloud gaming service

Works

GeForce NOW runs in Chrome on Chromebooks and can stream games you own on Steam after you connect the store.

  • Needs at least 4 GB RAM, 15 Mbps for HD at 60 FPS and under 80 ms latency to an NVIDIA data center.
  • 1600p and 120 FPS on a Chromebook need the Ultimate membership.
  • Free-to-play or demo games you have never played do not sync and must be marked as owned by hand.

Setup steps

  1. On the Chromebook, open play.geforcenow.com in Chrome 77 or later. (NVIDIA)
  2. In Steam, set your profile and Game details to public, and leave "Always keep my total playtime private" unchecked, or the library sync will not work. (NVIDIA support)
  3. In GeForce NOW, go to Settings > Connections, click Connect and sign in to Steam in the window that opens. (NVIDIA support)
  4. Your synced Steam games appear in My Library. After buying a new game, press Resync in Settings. (NVIDIA support)

Cost: Free tier, paid upgrades. GeForce NOW has a free tier on standard rigs. Performance and Ultimate members get 100 hours of monthly playtime. Membership prices were not shown on the pages we read.

Sources: NVIDIA, NVIDIA, NVIDIA support, NVIDIA · Checked , not verified

Not yet tested (1 route: Linux on ChromeOS)

No source we could read confirms whether these routes work for Steam. They are listed so you know they exist.

Linux on ChromeOS

Not verified

The Linux version of Steam can be installed in the Chromebook Linux environment, but Google says that environment has no GPU acceleration.

  • No GPU or video decode acceleration in Linux on ChromeOS.

Cost: Free

We found no test of Steam games in the Chromebook Linux environment.

Source: Google Chromebook Help · Checked , not verified

Sources

  1. Play Steam for Chromebook (Beta). Google Chromebook Help, vendor knowledge base. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  2. Google to kill Steam for Chromebook beta in 2026. Tom's Hardware, other. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  3. About Steam. Valve, vendor. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  4. GeForce NOW system requirements. NVIDIA, vendor. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  5. GeForce NOW. NVIDIA, vendor. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  6. How do I sync my Steam account to my GeForce NOW account?. NVIDIA support, vendor knowledge base. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  7. GeForce NOW FAQ. NVIDIA, vendor knowledge base. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.
  8. Set up Linux on your Chromebook. Google Chromebook Help, vendor knowledge base. Accessed 17 Oct 2026.

Record last checked 17 October 2026. Ratings from third-party compatibility databases are linked to their original pages. How we verify.

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