Acer, Lenovo and Asus release the first “gaming Chromebooks”

Chromebooks are not particularly good as gaming platforms, but the evolution of cloud gaming has made it possible to play games almost anywhere, including on these laptops. With that in mind, Chromebook manufacturers like Acer, Lenovo and Asus have designed their first “gaming Chromebooks”.

Unlike other laptops, “gaming Chromebooks” focus primarily on cloud gaming instead of running the games themselves. That means that the hardware is only enough to support streaming. Still, the monitors used in these laptops should have high refresh rates. Moreover, like most gaming Windows laptops, some models will feature RGB-backlit keyboards.

Acer was the first to introduce its gaming Chromebook – the Chromebook 516 GE. These laptops pack a 16-inch 120Hz WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS display, advanced DTS audio and support for Nvidia's GeForce Now (the highest tier), Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), and Amazon Luna. Moreover, they also feature 12th Gen Intel Core processors, 16GB LPDDR4X RAM, a 2.5G LAN port, Wi-Fi 6E support, 9-hour battery life and up to 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage. All models come with a 3-month free trial of Nvidia's GeForce Now's highest performance tier and Amazon Luna. The Acer Chromebook GE 516 will be available later this month in the US starting at $649. In December, it will arrive in EMEA at €999.

Lenovo introduced the IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook, which shares many specs with Acer's gaming Chromebook. The 16-inch 120Hz WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS display, Wi-Fi 6E, and support for Nvidia's GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), and Amazon Luna are just some of them. In addition, the laptop will be equipped with an 11-hour battery, 8GB of memory, a PCIe SSD card, and an FHD webcam with an integrated privacy shutter. For the CPU, we have an unnamed Intel core processor. The Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook will become available this month for $599.

Lastly, the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip is the most subtle of the three, but the design isn't the only difference. Two things that make it stand out from the rest are the 144Hz display with an FHD resolution and the 360º hinge that allows you to convert the laptop into a tablet. Moreover, it has an orange colour-blocked WASD key design,  Harman Kardon audio, and an HDMI 2.0 port. Other specs include an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, up to 512GB of SSD storage and Wi-Fi 6E support. Like the others, it supports the most popular cloud gaming services, and even comes with a three-month subscription to Nvidia GeForce Now's highest performance tier membership and Amazon Luna+. Moreover, it also comes with a free SteelSeries Rival 3 gaming mouse.

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Kitguru says: Have you ever gamed on a Chromebook? Would you get one of these for yourself?

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