While Chrome OS has never been a gaming platform – outside of browser games, naturally – it seems that Google wants that to change. One of the people heading up development for the operating system says Google is working on a version of the Steam client for Chrome OS, and this development might be happening in collaboration with Valve.
That’s according to a report from Android Police, after an interview with the director of product management for Chrome OS, Kan Liu. The report says that this version of Steam would work through Chrome OS’s Linux compatibility, and that “Liu implied, though would not directly confirm, that Google was working in direct cooperation with Valve on this project.”
Those are the only concrete details we have right now – though that may even be stretching the definition of ‘concrete.’ It’s certainly within Valve’s style to quietly work on a major Steam feature and simply announce it out of nowhere when it’s ready to go public, so don’t be surprised if that’s exactly what happens with Steam for Chrome OS.
The real question is exactly what kinds of games you’ll be able to run on Chrome OS. Steam’s Proton helps non-native games get up and running on Linux, so that work may be applicable here. Or this may just end up being a more limited Steam app – perhaps with the option for Remote Play streaming.
Load up on some free Steam games for now – there’s no telling where you might be able to play them in the future.