Google Unveils Three Chromebooks Optimized For Cloud Gaming

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Google Unveils Three Chromebooks Optimized For Cloud Gaming

Google Chromebooks have always been lightweight and portable workstations. They have rarely been associated with gaming, until today. Born from Google's partnership with Acer, ASUS and Lenovo are three new Chromebooks that are being promoted as gaming laptops. These devices have been optimized for cloud gaming services.

 

Google has introduced three laptops that the company claims, are optimized for cloud gaming. Gaming on a Chromebook might seem odd, but that is precisely what Google seems to be suggesting. The Chromebooks Google launched included Ideapad Gaming Chromebook from Lenovo, Acer Chromebook 516 GE, and ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip.

 

Can a Chromebook laptop be used for gaming?

Gaming laptops have traditionally packed high-end hardware. Mobile variants of top-end Intel or AMD CPUs, discrete graphics, lots of RAM, a large battery pack, and a high-resolution display. While games installed and played locally have needed such hardware, cloud gaming is different and it is not heavily dependent on local hardware.

Cloud gaming requires a high-speed and steady internet connection, a device capable of connecting to the internet and accessing the service. A controller connected to a streaming device essentially turns any big display into a gaming console.

Google assures the new Chromebooks have the key components needed for an immersive and uninterrupted gaming experience. These devices feature a 120Hz+ high-resolution screen, RGB gaming keyboards on selected models, anti-ghosting capabilities, immersive audio, and Wi-Fi 6 or 6E for connectivity. Incidentally, Nest recently launched its upgraded NestWifi Pro which supports 2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands.

Gamers need consoles or devices that have minimal input latency. Google claims the new Chromebooks optimized for cloud gaming have "console-class input latency of under 85ms".

Will Google Chromebooks compete with high-end gaming laptops?

Google Chromebooks and gaming laptops are at the two ends of the pricing spectrum. Chromebooks aren't designed to replicate the performance of a laptop that's built for gaming. However, cloud gaming could level the field in favor of Chromebooks.

Incidentally, Google has partnered with NVIDIA to offer GeForce Now's RTX 3080 tier support. This subscription allows cloud gaming sessions at up to 1600p resolution. The new Chromebooks support Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and Amazon Lunacloud gaming platforms right out of the box.

Gaming laptops are seldom priced aggressively. These portable but expensive and bulky gaming machines usually compete with dedicated gaming consoles and desktop PCs that pack a powerful CPU, GPU, and oodles of RAM. If Google and its partners can price these cloud-gaming Chromebooks well, they can attract a lot of gamers who pay for subscriptions to the aforementioned remotely hosted game streaming services.

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