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Gamers welcome to the ultimate guide on how to play steam games on Chromebook! I believe there isn’t a single gamer that hasn’t heard of Steam – it is the greatest. Video game platform ever. You can store, buy, trade, and sell games while becoming part of a large community.
Naturally, for gaming, you need some intelligent device – this is where Chromebooks come into play. While they may not be the ultimate gaming devices, many students use them because they are practical and affordable. And what serves well for school should also help to have fun, isn’t that right?
In this “How to play steam games on a Chromebook guide.” I will share some knowledge about the greatness of Steam and teach you how to install, enable and play steam games on a Chromebook.
Steam: Brief Description
Before we start listing the steps for “How to play Steam games on a Chromebook,” let’s briefly introduce Steam. Steam is like Netflix – only for the gaming community. It was introduced around 2003, and in the past 20 years, the platform has gained more than 150 million end-users.
With more than 30 000 games available and parental control allowing parents to select which games their children can play, it is not unusual that the platform is one of the most popular. Steam allows you to become a part of a community while also playing, buying, creating, and discussing video games.
Steam’s game library is cloud-based, allowing users to play any game without using up all of the computer’s memory. The most popular feature of Steam is the ability to play any game on any computer.
Another great thing about Steam is that it requires a specific age limit – kids younger than 13 cannot use the platform. This is particularly useful since the platform allows all kinds of games, including ones classified as highly violent.
Do Steam Games Work on Chromebook?
There is a prerelease Steam version that works on Chromebooks. Although this is a very early version of the popular game store, the community does not think it isn’t functional. Still, there are some requirements you need to follow since this alpha-quality version does not work on every Chromebook.
Here is the list of Chromebooks that support Steam:
- Acer 515 Chromebook (CB515-1W)
- Acer 514 Chromebook (CB514-1W)
- Acer Spin 713 Chromebook (CP713-3W)
- Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook
- Asus Flip CX5 Chromebook (CX5500)
- Asus CX9 Chromebook (CX9400)
- HP PRO c640 Chromebook
Aside from needing a specific Chromebook, it would help if you also had a couple of additional components, such as an 11th-generation Intel Core processor (i5 or i7), no less than 8GM of RAM, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. If you have all the needed requirements, you can enjoy Steam on your Chrome OS via the Dev channel.
Install Steam on Chromebook
Not long ago, Google announced its plans to bring Steam to every Chromebook. Now, that is a reality. So, if you are thinking about “How to play Steam games on a Chromebook,” read the step-to-step guide.
01: Switch to Dev Channel
The first step toward installing Steam is switching to the Developer channel. To do that, you need to follow these steps:
- Go to Settings on your Chromebook;
- On the bottom of the left-side menu, click on About Chrome OS; Next, select Additional details;
- Within this section, select Developer-unstable channel;
- Keep in mind that when you change the channel back to Stable or Beta, every data will be cleaned; The data cleaning does not happen when you change the channel from Stable to Developer;
02: Update Chromebook
- Return to About Chrome OS;
- Click on Check for updates;
- Update to the latest Developer build, then restart your computer;
03: Enable Borealis and Pointer Lock
- Open the browser and type chrome://flags;
- Once you are redirected, type #borealis-enabled in the search bar;
- Change it from Default to Enabled;
- Type #exo-pointer-lock and also change it from Default to Enabled;
- Locate and click the Restart button at the page’s footer;
04: Crosh Terminal
- Once the Chromebook restarts, open the browser again and press these options on the keyboard Ctrl +Alt + T simultaneously;
- A Crosh Terminal window will open where you need to paste this command insert_coin volteer-JOlkth573FBLGa
- After you paste the command, click Enter;
05: Login and Play
- A Login window will become visible in which you need to follow the screen instructions to install the application;
- The Steam application is now installed on your Chromebook;
- Connect the gaming controller to the application, then connect to a network;
- You currently have access to the Steam application and can choose to play any game in the library!
Enable Steam Play On Chromebook
Enabling Steam Play is another big part of the “How to play Steam games on a Chromebook” guide if you like to unlock games intended for PCs.
Steam Play is a unity layer that enables users to enjoy Windows operating games on Linux devices. These are the things you need to follow to allow Steam to Play:
- Launch the Steam app on the Chromebook;
- Go to Settings and find the Steam Play option at the bottom of the left-side menu;
- Tick the option that says Enable Steam Play for all other titles;
- Next, under Run other titles, choose Proton Experimental;
- Now, you can enjoy any video game on your Linux device!
Install Steam on Linux-Operating Chromebook
For all of you out there feeling bummed cause you don’t own one of the Chromebooks on which Steam can be installed, don’t panic just yet! Another part of our “How to play Steam games on Chromebook” guide is installing the Steam app on any Linux-operating Chromebook.
These are the steps you need to pay attention to (Note that this method will work only if you have a Linux operating device)
- First, you need to run Linux on your Chromebook;
- In Settings, select the Advanced option;
- Next, select Developers;
- In line with the Linux development environment, click the Turn on the button;
- In the setup window, select Install;
- Type the username, choose the disk space, then click Install again;
- Wait a couple of minutes, and you are good to go;
- Following, you need to navigate to Settings in the Chrome browser and find Linux (Beta) at the bottom of the menu;
- Enable the GPU;
- Go to the Linux Terminal and paste the following command: Sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
- This command will update the Linux to the latest version;
- Find and download the setup of the Steam application and the say way you install an exe. File, install the DEB file; (DEB is like exe. for Linux);
- Transfer the DEB file to the Linux files section;
- With a double-click on the setup, an installation window will appear;
- Click on Install and wait until it is installed;
- Once Steam downloads the libraries, you can open the application and sign in to your Steam account.
How to Play Steam Games on a Chromebook: Which Games Are Available?
We are not far from the end of our “How to play Steam games on a Chromebook” guide, but a gaming guide is not complete unless I tell you which games you can play on your Chromebook!
Though Google is planning on expanding this list over time, here are some of the games you can play:
- Age Of Empires II
- Terraria
- Portal 2
- Team Fortress 2
- World of Tanks Blitz
- Factorio
- Geometry Dish
- Human: Fall Flat
- Overcooked! 2
- Slay the Spire
- Hollow Knight
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Half-Life 2
- Dead Cells
- Bloons TD 6
- RimWorld
- Loop Hero
- Grim Dawn
- Disco Elysium
- A Short Hike
- Fishing Planet
- RISK: Global Domination
- TEKKEN 7
- Untitled Goose Game
- Tabletop Simulator
- Stardew Valley
- Celeste
- Euro Truck Simulator 2
- Sid Meier’s Civilization V
- Vampire Survivors
- Hades
- The Elder Scrolls V
- Unturned
Conclusion
Here you have it; the most accessible guide on “How to play Steam games on a Chromebook.” Though it may not be as simple as installing Steam on a Windows-operating device, it is still pretty straightforward.
Remember, there are specific requirements for a Steam installation to work on a Chromebook device. Still, installing Steam on any regular Linux Chromebook is possible. Just follow our guide on “How to play Steam games on a Chromebook,” and you can enjoy the Steam library of games in no time!
FAQs on “How to Play Steam Games on a Chromebook.”
Is Chromebooks Good for Gaming?
While their primary use is for browsing content on Google, they are suitable for gaming too. Even so, they might even surprise you!
Can I Install Steam on My School Chromebook?
Yes, you can install Steam on your school Chromebook. You need to install the application from the Google Play Store, connect the Chromebook to the same network as your computer, and login into your Steam account.
How Many Steam Games Can I Play On Chromebook?
According to Google, there are 48 Steam games available for playing on Chromebooks.
