Google’s ambitions to make gaming-focused Chromebooks are now coming to fruition.
In a new press release, Google announced that it has partnered with Acer, Asus, and Lenovo to make these gaming-focused Chromebooks designed for cloud gaming subscription services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE features a 120Hz WQXGA display with an anti-ghosting RGB keyboard, WI-Fi 6E connectivity, and force-canceling and DTS speakers. The laptop offers a few configuration options for the RAM (up to 16GB of LPDDR4X), storage (up to 256GB of NVMe SSD), along with two CPU options (Intel Core i5-1240P or i7-1260P). Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE starts at $649.99 and will be available at Best Buy.
The Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip features a 144Hz FHD display, an anti-ghosting keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, a 720p camera, and Harmon Kardon-certified dual speakers. Asus notes that you can configure the laptop with up to an Intel Core i7 (11th Gen) CPU, 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Chromebook offers a 120Hz WQXGA display, an RGB anti-ghosting keyboard, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and a four-speaker system with Wave audio tuning. The laptop offers an option to receive either an Intel Core i3 or i5 CPU (both 12th Gen) and includes a few storage options: 128GB of eMMC SSD or M.2 PCIe 2242 in either 256GB or 512GB. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook will be available sometime this month with a starting MSRP of $599.
The announcement of gaming laptops designed for cloud gaming services comes at an interesting time, as Google recently announced that it would shut down its own cloud gaming service, Stadia, early next year. Additionally, Logitech announced a few weeks ago that it was working on a Wi-Fi-only handheld that is dedicated to cloud gaming and would retail for $350.
While the inclusion of a gaming-centric Chromebook designed more for cloud gaming seems redundant, these may appeal to those who are subscribed and avid cloud gaming players and don’t want to spend a ton of cash on laptops built for gaming beyond the cloud.
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
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