Google boosts new gaming Chromebooks with free GeForce Now and Amazon Luna
Hot off the heels ofStadia’s death, Google is still somehow interested in gaming, and so there’sa fresh initiative for Chromebookscentered around, you guessed it, gaming. Specifically, cloud gaming, with Nvidia at the forefront as the closest partner in the endeavor. Basically, Chromebooks are great for working in the cloud, and now that cloud gaming is so popular this year with multiple streaming-centric devices coming from the likes ofLogitechandRazer, it’s no surprise to see laptop manufacturers such asAcer,Asus, andLenovoalso jumping on the bandwagon with fresh Chromebooks made specifically for cloud gaming, including the telltale sign of a proper gaming laptop, RGB keyboards.
That’s right, the one platform that rarely offers the specs required to play demanding games locally will lean on the cloud to get its gaming fix. What Chromebooks are known for is a tolerable size that’s great for portability, something gaming laptops very much aren’t known for. So it would seem there is a focus with thisnew Cloud Gaming for Chromebooks initiativeto convince consumers that using a slim laptop like a Chromebook can be a worthwhile replacement for a full-fledged behemoth of a gaming laptop while still offering notable perks, like 120Hz displays and Wi-Fi 6/6E support.
The Chromebooks that arepart of this new gaming focuswill offer gamer-centric features, like an app to easily connect third-party controllers. The OS will also see specific optimizations, like the ability to jump from one streaming service to another through the ChromeOS launcher. These devices will be platform-agnostic as far as streaming services go (supporting Xbox Cloud Gaming, Luna, and GeForce Now), though there has been specific cooperation with Nvidia, and the company will be offering a special subscription tier for these Chromebooks that supports a 16:10 ratio at 1600p, which is a first for the industry, streams that go beyond 16:9. This new GeForce tier could also be a boon for Steam Deck users, or anyone else using a 16:10 screen for their GeForce Now streams. Best of all, anyone who purchases on of these new gaming Chromebooks will receive three free months of GeForce Now as well as Amazon Luna.
Of course, the success of these upcoming Chromebooks and their RGB keyboards will hinge on whether anyone actually will spend money on hardware specifically made for streaming, which may be challenging when the big promise of streaming games was that you could play anywhere with existing hardware. Well, with all new devices getting announced in the last month that are all focused on streaming games, like Logitech’s G Cloud, it would seem selling new hardware for streaming is very much a goal. Now comes the question of whether or not consumers are willing to pony up the cash for new hardware when streaming services like Stadia can’t keep the lights on.
Things get red hot for Magenta
From faster storage to better speakers
I found the only AI photo app worth keeping on my phone
Free screen and battery repairs inbound
Change your network settings the easy way
Google is still searching for answers
