Bad news for gamers! This Google service will be discontinued on this day, know full details

Google: Google has announced that by the end of 2025, Steam Beta support on Chromebooks will be completely discontinued.

Google: Google has announced that by the end of 2025, Steam Beta support on Chromebooks will be completely discontinued. From January 1, 2026, users will neither be able to launch Steam, nor install new games, nor access the platform. Even pre-installed games will be automatically removed. This move is the end of the beta program that started in 2022, in which Google and Steam together tried to bring the PC gaming experience to Chromebooks.

What is Steam?

Steam is the world's largest PC gaming platform, where thousands of games can be purchased, downloaded or rented. Earlier it was only available for Windows, macOS and Linux, but through Steam Beta, 99 select PC games could also be played on Chromebooks. This allowed ChromeOS users to enjoy high-quality titles.

Impact on Chromebook gamers

Chromebooks are known for their lightweight, fast and internet-focused operating system but it was not possible to run high-end AAA PC games in them earlier. Steam Beta filled this gap but now after its closure, users will have to depend on Android games from Google Play Store, where PC-exclusive games are lacking.

Transition plan for users

Google has already started sending notifications of this change to Chromebook users. Steam Beta will remain fully active till December 31, 2025. After that, users will have to resort to cloud services like NVIDIA GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming for PC-quality gaming.

Disappointment for Indian gamers

Chromebooks are especially popular in India among students and light-duty users. Many young gamers enjoyed PC gaming through Steam Beta without buying expensive gaming laptops. Now with its shutdown, they may have to adopt Android gaming or third-party cloud platforms, which is likely to increase data consumption and subscription costs.