Google announces new Chromebook powered by cloud after killing Stadia

Google is announcing a brand new line of Chromebooks. The three new devices, developed in partnership with a number of manufacturers, are said to utilize the power of the cloud for gaming. News of the products come not long after the same company pulled the curtain on Stadia.

Google’s new Chromebook selection includes Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE, the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and the Ideapad Gaming Chromebook from Lenovo. Each laptop touts high framerates and RGB keyboards. Most prominently, each new Chromebook is built for cloud gaming.

We’ve compiled a quick overview of each device. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE offers a 120Hz WQXGA display, RGB anti-ghosting keyboard, and WiFi 6E connectivity. It is also built on an Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB+ RAM.

Meanwhile, the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip supports a 144Hz FHD display and is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop. Once again, this device includes an RGB anti-ghosting keyboard and an Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB+ RAM. It is paired with Harmon Kardon-certified dual speakers with WiFi 6 connectivity enabled.

Finally, the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook supports a 120Hz WQXGA display, an RGB anti-ghosting keyboard and WiFi 6E connectivity. Additionally, it includes a 4-speaker system with Wave audio tuning plus an Intel Core i3+ processor with 8GB+ RAM.

While each device offers modest specs, it’s Google’s emphasis on cloud gaming that stands out the most. Even in the blog post, Google highlights the respectable number of games available on the cloud via the above video. Google is teaming up with Nvidia to bring its GeForce Now cloud-based gaming feature to each Chromebook. Each device is built to support Nvidia’s highest performance RTX 3080 tier. Members of the RTX 3080 tier are able to play AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite and Crysis 3 Remastered at up to 1600p @120fps.

Additionally, Google is partnering with Xbox to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Chromebook via an installable web app to give subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate even more flexibility. Xbox Cloud Gaming supports a wide array of first-party titles and third-party games available on Xbox Game Pass.

The timing of this announcement is quite unfortunate. The performance of each Chromebook does set itself up to be a cloud-gaming workhorse. However, Google recently shuttered Stadia, its own cloud-gaming service. Had it not, the narrative of these new Chromebooks being Stadia-powered writes itself. Though, as of January 18th, 2023, Stadia and its servers will be taken offline. For those in the Google ecosystem, refunds on hardware and software will be given through the Google Play Store.

As for the new Chromebooks, each device will be available this month.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google