Steam Will Be Shut Down on One Gaming Platform

The widely-used gaming service, Steam, is set to cease operation on Chromebooks soon. Users of Steam on Google’s Chromebooks have found out that they have just a few months left before the service ends.

2022 saw me finally being able to play Steam games on my Google Chromebook! Previously, the platform hadn’t officially supported Steam due to most Chromebooks sporting energy-efficient hardware that wasn’t up to gaming standards. But then, Google and its partners started rolling out Chromebooks with beefed-up hardware capable of running games. Excitedly, they introduced Steam to let us owners of these high-performance machines tap into their vast game library!

Steam for Chromebooks is Shutting Down

Starting from now, the Steam for Chromebooks beta phase is wrapping up, as announced. This means that the service will be shut down on January 1, 2026, according to 9to5Google. Users have started receiving notifications from the launcher about this closure. Regrettably, this implies that after January 1, 2026, Chromebook users who use Steam won’t be able to access any of their installed games. Google hasn’t provided a reason for this shutdown, except stating that it was a beta program and the user feedback will help shape the future of gaming on Chromebooks, suggesting that Google might still have plans for gaming on these devices in the future.

After almost three years since its launch, it’s likely that gamers using Chromebooks aren’t particularly pleased about the situation. This could be because the program might be discontinued, implying that it didn’t meet Google’s expectations for success. Since Steam for Chromebooks was launched, a variety of portable gaming systems have emerged, such as the Steam Deck and more recently, the Nintendo Switch 2. These devices offer portability, which could have attracted potential customers away from gaming on Chromebooks. For budget-conscious individuals, the Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 consoles might be more appealing choices over gaming Chromebooks.

Although it’s regrettable for those who liked playing Steam games on Chromebooks, they can still enjoy their Steam library on other systems. Their accounts are compatible with the regular PC and macOS versions of Steam, as well as select portable devices. However, not all Chromebook users may have access to these alternative systems, but rest assured, their games will stay in their Steam libraries until they find a way to use Steam again.

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2025-08-09 02:48