Google partners with Acer, Lenovo, Asus on new cloud gaming Chromebooks

Thanks to partnerships with Acer, Asus, and Lenovo, Google is introducing a new breed of Chromebooks that puts cloud gaming first. Coming this month in October are three new Chromebook models from these OEMs with features like RGB keyboards and high refresh rate screens. Prices on the devices start as low as $399 and can reach as high as $799. You’ll be able to find them at many popular retailers like Walmart, and BestBuy, and enjoy cloud streaming services like Amazon Luna, Xbox Cloud Gaming, as well as Nvidia GeForce Now.

The three Chromebooks that Google introduced today include the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, Ideapad Gaming Chromebook from Lenovo, and the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip. Note that the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a traditional laptop as well as the Ideapad Gaming Chromebook from Lenovo. Acer’s Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip is a 2-in-1 convertible. We have the details on all these models for you right here.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE will be coming later this month for relatively affordable prices starting at $649.99. As a Chromebook that’s all about gaming, there are a few unique things about this machine that sets it apart from the other Chromebooks in the Acer lineup. The first is the 16-inch IPS 120 Hz and 16:10 aspect ratio screen, which is tuned to 2560 x 1600 resolution and can have over 100% SRGB color gamut. The second is the keyboard, which is an RGB keyboard with anti-ghosting technology (you can select from one of seven colors or a 4-zone color option.) The third is the two upward-firing and two downward-firing speakers, which are powered by advanced DTS audio. And finally is the CPU under the hood. This Chromebook has the latest and greatest 12th-generation Intel processors under the hood, powered by up to an Intel Core i7-1260P CPU.

Ports on the Acer Chromebook 516GE include an RJ45 2.5Gbps Ethernet LAN port, dual USB Type-C, USB Type-A, and HDMI. Wi-Fi 6E is supported, as well as Bluetooth 5.2 Battery is rated at 9 hours. There’s also a Full HD webcam onboard supporting temporal noise reduction, with dual microphones.

The $650 model we mentioned comes with an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X SDRAM, and 256GB PCIe Gen 3 storage. It’ll be up for purchase at Best Buy.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook

The Lenovo is also a 16-inch laptop and it has some similarities with the Acer model above. Under the hood, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook comes with up to a 12th generation Intel Core i5-1235U processor and no discrete GPU, along with 8GB of RAM and up to a 512GB PCIe SSD for storage. That allows this to be a pretty cheap machine while still letting you play AAA games through the cloud streaming services. There’s also a pretty big 71Whr battery that should get you up to 11 hours of battery life.

Lenovo did invest in other aspects of the gaming experience, though. The 16-inch display comes in a very sharp resolution of 2560 x 1600, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. Most streaming services don’t yet support 120Hz, but Nvidia GeForce Now does. The laptop does support Wi-Fi 6E for faster connections with lower latency, though there’s no Ethernet port on this laptop. You do get a solid selection of ports, though, with two USB-C ports, two USB Type-A, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a gaming laptop without some superfluous RGB lighting, so the keyboard comes with a four-zone backlight for some extra flair. The keyboard itself is also pretty good, with 1.5mm of key travel and anti-ghosting to ensure keys respond correctly when you need them to. Plus, Lenovo is packing a nearly full-size keyboard here, with a number pad on the right side.

Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip

The Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip is unique since it’s a 2-in-1 Chromebook that’s designed for cloud gaming. It has some of the same specs as the other two Chromebooks we’ve mentioned so far on our list but might be better for some people for portability and playing on the go..

Interestingly enough, the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip has one of the highest refresh rate screens of the new cloud gaming Chromebook bunch. It packs a 144Hz high refresh rate display, though the screen only maxes out at FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Other design elements of the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip include the orange WASD keys on the keyboard and anti-ghosting technology. There is no RGB lighting, however, but the keyboard is backlit and the palm rest is finished in a velvet obsidian texture. There’s also the Asus ErgoLift hinge which helps with using the keyboard in a comfortable typing position. As for the speakers, they’re turned by Harman/Kardon. Asus says it’s using an aluminum-alloy metal lid and an all-black design on the interior to match the gaming look and feel.

Note that the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip doesn’t pack 12th-generation Intel processors like the other two devices we mentioned. Rather, it has options for the 11th generation Intel Core i7-11g5G7, Intel Core i5-1135G7, or Intel Core i3-1115G4. Memory starts at 8GB and can be pushed to 16GB, and the SSD can be pushed to either 128GB or 512GB.

What’s included and what’s new in ChromeOS for Cloud Gaming

 

Other than the new hardware, Google also partnered with Nvidia, Xbox, and Amazon Luna to bring their cloud gaming services over to these devices. Nvidia’s GeForce Now will be the best way to experience cloud gaming as it supports 1600p resolution and 120 frames per second. This can take full advantage of the 120Hz or higher high-resolution displays on these Chromebooks. Nvidia GeForce Now has access to popular titles like Fornite, Cyberpunk 2077, and more.

If you’ve never used the services before, then you’ll get instant 3-month trial access to the Nvidia GeForce Now RTX 3080 tier with the purchase of one of these devices. Even a three-month trial to Amazon Luna + will be included. And, if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can manually install an Xbox Cloud Gaming web app to access that library of titles. Google worked with Microsoft to enable that access, but Google also noted Nvidia GeForce now will be pre-installed for you if you buy one of these devices.

Under the hood of ChromeOS, Google has some optimizations for these cloud gaming Chromebooks. You’ll be able to find the games you want to play by tapping the Everything button on your keyboard and then searching for the game via the ChromeOS launcher. Only Nvidia GeForce Now and Google Play games are supported at launch, however. Many popular gaming accessories from Acer, Corsair, HyperX, Lenovo, and SteelSeries will also now work with ChromeOS. Google partnered with these accessory makers to ensure the accessories work properly via the Works with Chromebook Program.

Google’s own Stadia service will be shutting down, but those who still have access can still play through the Chrome browser on these devices until January 2023.

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