The popular gaming platform Steam is being discontinued on Chromebooks. Some of those who currently utilize Steam on Google Chromebooks have discovered that they only have a few months remaining to enjoy it.
Steam was introduced for Google Chromebooks starting in late 2022. Prior to that, Steam hadn't been officially available for the platform, with most Chromebooks featuring energy-efficient systems that were insufficient for gaming. However, Google and its partners began introducing Chromebooks with stronger hardware that could handle some games, and Steam was introduced to give owners of those more powerful systems access to its large library.
Valve Reveals Steam Sales Schedule for the Rest of 2025
In an exciting update for PC gamers, Steam reveals the entire list of various discount events coming in 2025, alongside their dates.
Steam for Chromebooks is Shutting Down
Now, however, that opportunity is coming to an end, as the Steam for Chromebooks beta has announced that it's being sunsetted. As reported by 9to5Google, users have begun seeing messages from the launcher informing them that Steam will be shut down on Chromebooks on January 1, 2026. Unfortunately, even though Steam Chromebook users download the games onto their systems like any other PC, they also won't be able to access any of their installed games after that point. No explanation for the discontinuation was offered, aside from Google stating that it was a beta program, and that users' participation will "inform the future of Chromebook gaming," implying that Google isn't done with gaming on Chromebooks entirely.
Given that it's been nearly three years since the program was introduced, chances are players on Chromebooks aren't thrilled with this development. However, its discontinuation may also mean that the project wasn't as successful as Google had hoped. In the time since Steam for Chromebooks was introduced, numerous portable gaming systems have entered the market, including the popular Steam Deck, and more recently, the Nintendo Switch 2. The portability of these systems may have drawn potential buyers away from gaming Chromebooks, and for those on a budget, Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 consoles may have been preferable options.
While this is an unfortunate move for those who have enjoyed Steam on Chromebooks, those players should still be able to play their Steam games on a different system. Those users' Steam accounts should be accessible with the standard program on PC and macOS, as well as certain portables. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that every Chromebook owner will have access to one of these systems, but at least their games will remain in their Steam libraries until such a time that they're able to use Steam again.
