According to reports, Steam's beta version of Chromebooks will officially end on January 1, 2026.Currently, when Chromebook users try to install Steam, they will see a pop-up warning that this beta application will stop providing services at the end of the year.

The notice reads: "The Steam Chromebook beta program will be terminated on January 1, 2026. After that, games installed through the beta will not continue to run on your device. Thank you for participating in the test and providing valuable experience for the project, and these feedback will provide a reference for the future development of Chromebook games."

For many players, it may be the first time I heard that ChromeOS has a Steam app.The app was launched in 2022 and has been in beta since then, with updates rarely being released on both Valve and Google.

Since ChromeOS is essentially a system developed by Google based on Linux, ChromeOS version of Steam can run Windows games with the help of Valve's Proton compatibility layer, just like Steam Deck and other Linux devices.

Of course, it cannot run most games, which also exposes the core issues of Steam on ChromeOS, and perhaps the reason for the beta application being shut down.But the biggest obstacle to Chromebooks becoming a qualified gaming device is not software.

But the hardware (actually, it has always been).Even if Chromebooks can install Steam, it cannot change the fact that most Chromebooks lack performance and cannot run most games on the Steam platform.

Despite this, it is still a bit regrettable to see this app end.After all, it's always a good thing to be able to play Steam games on a Chromebook, no matter how limited the list of compatible games is.The experience of high-quality games like "The Hollow Knight" and "The Blue" on Chromebooks is actually quite good - especially for players who want to get started with PC games but can't afford high-end hardware.

Unfortunately, this has also become another fatal flaw in the Chromebook version of Steam app.Even if you have a limited budget or only Chromebooks are available, cloud games can provide far more games than the few Chromebooks' local hardware can run.As long as the network connection is stable, cloud gaming can bring an almost smooth experience, at least for single-player gaming.

Since you can access a larger library of games through GeForce Now or Xbox cloud games, why bother with Steam? However, there is a clear absence from these cloud gaming services: Google's own Stadia service, which was suspended in early 2023.

Taking these factors into consideration, it is not surprising that Steam exits ChromeOS.This may be the inevitable result: the low-power hardware that makes Chromebooks affordable is precisely their fatal weakness in the gaming field.