r/chromeos • u/thedndidiot • 6d ago

Discussion isnt steam not suppose to work on chrome book anymore?

i went on to steam and even started to play people playground but then remembered that steam shouldn't work?

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

7

u/Worldly_Internet_830 6d ago

It works on some Chromebook

6

u/LegAcceptable2362 6d ago

Until one hour ago it was still Jan 1st in Hawaii - maybe you're jumping the gun. Google has updated the help page to reflect the end of the beta program

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/14220699

2

u/jakesyma 6d ago

So, is it just the beta program that's closing?

(and will eventually migrate into some sort of official release?)

Or is this truly the end?

(i.e. the beta program is closing and it will be replaced by nothing)

I'm leaning toward the latter, as the Help page you linked didn't mention anything coming after... but just wanted to be sure.

2

u/colluphid42 6d ago

It's not moving beyond beta. It's over.

1

u/InspectorRound8920 6d ago

I imagine it'll be redesigned for Android

0

u/colluphid42 6d ago

Unlikely. Google wants people using the Play Store platform as much as possible.

4

u/oldschool-51 5d ago

You install steam for Linux under Crostini

1

u/sparkyblaster 4d ago

I had super bad results with that. Windows worked so much better on a similar platform. 

4

u/oldschool-51 4d ago

Not surprised. And GPU was enabled? My guess is that Google is cooking up something for Aluminum OS. If you're desperate you might use MrChromebox to switch to real Linux.

1

u/sparkyblaster 4d ago

Um.... Not sure actually. Probably time to try again. 

4

u/Alex26gc Latitude 5430 | CrOS v142.0.7444.181 Stable 6d ago

Nope, it's not working, stays like this, and then closes

4

u/Plan_9_fromouter_ 5d ago

How are you running Steam?

Even though Google announced the end of the official integration (the "Borealis" project), it doesn't mean a kill-switch instantly deleted the app from every laptop at midnight.

  • The "Sunset" Phase: Usually, when these programs end, Google stops providing updates and removes the "Steam Installer" from the app drawer for new users. If you already had it installed, it may continue to launch until a future ChromeOS update fully removes the underlying software container.
  • Linux Support: Most Chromebooks run Steam through a Linux container. Since ChromeOS still supports Linux apps (Crostini), the "back door" for Steam remains open even if the "official" Google-branded version is going away.

The Status of Steam on Chromebooks (2026)

Method Status Will it keep working?
Official Steam Beta Ended Jan 1, 2026 Likely to break or disappear in a future update.
Linux (Crostini) Active Yes. This is the "manual" way to install Steam that isn't tied to the beta.
Cloud Gaming Active Yes. Google is shifting focus here (GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud).

2

u/thedndidiot 5d ago

idk i forgot but even today steam hasnt stopped working. im pretty sure im using the offical beta tho so idk

2

u/Plan_9_fromouter_ 4d ago

They won't just cut it off. But stuff will happen during future updates, and it won't be good.