We first heard about Steam for Chrome OS in 2020, but here we are over two years later, and it’s still not quite ready. Google released the first Steam on ChromeOS alpha build earlier this year, but now it looks like an official beta could arrive, allowing more players access.

The first Alpha build of Steam for ChromeOS came with strings attached. Most Chromebooks weren’t powerful enough to run it and had to have at least 8GB of RAM, not to mention other hardware requirements. You also had to run the machine in the ChromeOS Dev channel, which isn’t always the best choice.

According to 9to5Google, who spotted a big change in the Chromium Gerrit code, broader support and beta testing are about to begin. Google is ready to finally move Steam from alpha to beta, allowing more players to enjoy it on their capable Chromebooks.

While it doesn’t sound like the hardware requirements are going away anytime soon, allowing Steam for ChromeOS to work on the beta channel is a big deal, as the beta is far more stable than Dev or Canary builds. Far more people use the beta channel, and soon they’ll have access to Steam.

A few comments on the Gerrit suggest a short delay on releasing Steam to beta, but it’s clear that Google is getting ready to roll it out. We’re not sure when it’s officially coming, so stay tuned for more details.

via 9to5Google