Yet another platform getting Steam gaming support

Jul 2, 2020 16:44 GMT  ·  By

We’ve known for a while that Steam is coming to Google’s Chrome OS, but according to a new discovery, an announcement in this regard is much closer than we think.

According to a report from 9to5Google, Chrome OS, which already comes with support for Linux apps through Crostini, a project that was powered by a full Linux OS running in a container, is ready to get another similar project that could eventually bring us Steam.

Crostini itself runs on Debian, but as discovered recently, the new project, currently referred to as Borealis, uses Ubuntu as the foundation of the platform. Borealis is also the project that could eventually include Steam, thus allowing users to play games on Chrome OS.

What is very important to keep in mind is that the whole thing is still in its early days, and of course, support will be very limited at first.

Chrome OS vs. Windows

In other words, yes, Steam is coming to Chrome OS, but not every Chromebook will be able to run the gaming platform. According to the cited source, only devices powered by the 10th Gen Intel processors will allow users to play games on Chrome OS.

Without a doubt, Steam coming to Chrome OS can’t be anything but bad news for Windows. It’s not a secret that Microsoft’s platform is the dominating choice in the world of PC gaming, but in the last few years, investments in alternative operating systems optimized for gaming gained more ground.

Linux itself has improved a lot in this regard, and with Steam coming to Chrome OS, Windows is getting a second important rival as far as gaming is concerned.

For now, however, Google is still working on getting everything right, and without a doubt, this is critical for the overall success of the project. Gaming on Chrome OS must work flawlessly, as it could be the only chance this platform gets in the fight against Windows.