Steam is very close to debuting on Chrome OS: public tests could start as early as this month. This was revealed by a recent change in the source code of the operating system, spotted by colleagues at Android Police: the project was labeled with the internal code name Borealis, and the American newspaper found traces about it in the Canary release of Chrome OS 98, which it should be released within a few days at the latest.
Chrome OS 98 stable will arrive, according to official plans, on February 1, 2022, so in the best possible scenario the wait is still just under a couple of months. Always assuming that everything goes well on the test side and that it is not necessary to postpone to later versions. Just for completeness, we point out that the Beta of this version of the OS is scheduled between 6 and 13 January.
The code indicates that there are two channels for Borealis: a Beta and a stable. The Chrome OS team should also be working on building a system that indicates the compatibility of the games and the device in use. The system should be integrated into Proton, which is that emulator (based on WINE) developed by Steam itself that allows Windows games to be run on Linux.
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The idea of using a Chromebook for video games may seem a little out of place when you consider that these devices are usually quite inexpensive, with entry-level components. It is true that there are more powerful systems too, but they represent a very narrow niche in the sector. However, games and educational software, in general, represent a great potential for products that have spread mainly in the school sector for the youngest.
According to rumors, Valve itself has been pushing for almost a year to land on the platform. If you want, there are tricks that allow you to launch Steam on Chrome OS, but they are definitely too complicated or cumbersome for the standard user let alone for children, on school devices managed by IT administrators).