According to reports, Google will end support for the Steam for Chromebook Beta program at the end of this year. According to the report, Chromebook users who try to launch the beta app will now receive a pop-up message informing them that it will be discontinued. The Mountain View-based tech giant has reportedly set January 1, 2026 as the date to discontinue Steam. Thereafter, even pre-installed games will be automatically deleted from the user’s device. The company did not mention a reason for shutting down the project.
Chromebooks will soon stop supporting Steam games
According to a report by 9to5Google, when all Chromebook users try to install or launch Steam, Google will show them a message informing them that the system has been discontinued. Currently, the beta app works fine, but starting in 2026, this will no longer be the case.
The message reportedly reads: “The Steam for Chromebook Beta program will end on January 1, 2026. After this date, games installed as part of the Beta will no longer be playable on your device. We thank you for participating in the Beta program and contributing to learning that will inform the future of Chromebook gaming.”
Google first started the Steam optimization process for Chromebooks in March 2022, when the company launched the Steam alpha program for Chromebooks. By November 2022, the Alpha program ends and the platform is pushed into the Beta stage, with reduced hardware requirements. It’s worth noting that Steam for Chromebooks uses Linux versions of games, and Google maintains 99 different games that are compatible with the operating system.
However, despite entering beta, Steam hasn’t received any major updates since, with new news now closing the curtain on the project. Interestingly, Steam support has played a big role in Google’s push for gaming Chromebooks. After January 1, users can still play Android games from the Play Store; however, the catalog does not match what Steam offers.
The only other option available to Chromebook users is to opt for a cloud-based gaming service such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, or Amazon Luna.