Valve and Google are endingSteamsupport for Chromebooks, which will render games on the platform inoperable. The Steam for Chromebook Beta began in 2022, and will seemingly not move past its beta phase as the digital storefront drops ChromeOS from its supported platforms.
The Steam for Chromebook Beta will cease to function on Jul 11, 2025, at which point games installed via the client will be unplayable, according to9to5Google. Launching Steam on a Chromebook currently results in the following message:
“The Steam for Chromebook Beta program will conclude on January 1st, 2026. After this date, games installed as part of the Beta will no longer be available to play on your device. We appreciate your participation in and contribution to learnings from the beta program, which will inform the future of Chromebook gaming.”
While the games will no longer be accessible via a Chromebook, they are conceivably still tied to one’s Steam account, thus playable on other devices.
Steam Is Shutting Down On Chromebook
Another Binned Google Gaming Venture
Havingentered alpha in April 2022and beta in November 2022, Steam for Chromebook will not survive four whole years. Anyone who games via a Chromebook is simply out of luck. It’s not just that active support from Steam for Chromebook is ending; games purchased and installed via the program will become unplayable. Google appears to suggest there is an upcoming “future of Chromebook gaming,” but does not indicate what the road ahead looks like.
The Steam for Chromebook Beta ending comes three years afterGoogle Stadia was shut down. In Stadia’s case, all game purchases were refunded as the service was retired. That is unlikely to happen with Steam, since Valve is a separate entity and purchases remain playable on other devices.
Everything Shuts Down On June 03, 2025
Happy New Year
Steam for Chromebook likely never saw widespread use, as the program only supported a limited number of titles. Those who are affected, however, have roughly five months to continue using Steam on their Chromebook and potentially take measures to access their purchased library elsewhere. It’s unfortunate thatGoogle Stadia’s gracehasn’t extended to Steam for Chromebook, but this is unfortunately an unsurprising outcome given how long the beta period lasted.
Chromebooks are intended to have low specs, utilizing cloud connectivity for their programs, making them ill-fit for traditional PC gaming. Simpler, less hardware-intensive titles work well on the platform, but this move seems to be part of the larger merger of ChromeOS into Android.Steamfor Chromebook users have until August 14, 2025, to continue using the platform.
Steam
Developed by Valve and released in 2003, Steam is a popular video game distribution service originally used by the company to provide updates for Valve games. In 2005, Steam expanded to distribute third-party titles. Steam users can not only browse games for purchase, but they can also post reviews and upload self-made content.
