Cloud gaming Chromebooks from Acer, Asus and Lenovo unveiled

The fact that Google of all places is introducing three new Chromebooks that are designed exactly for this purpose after the discontinuation of its own cloud gaming service Stadia has a slightly bitter aftertaste, but so be it. After all, with Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass, there are other solutions that the three new cloud gaming Chromebooks from Acer, Asus and Lenovo are supposed to be perfectly equipped for.

New cloud gaming Chromebooks from Acer, Asus and Lenovo

Together with Acer, Asus and Lenovo, Google has unveiled three new cloud gaming Chromebooks . They are said to be the world’s first models designed specifically for gaming in the cloud. In doing so, the three models are said to utilize various hardware and software features that realize fast gaming capabilities.

The three new laptops – Acer Chromebook 516 GE, ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook – offer high refresh rates, high-resolution displays, RGB-backlit keyboards and fast Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E.

In terms of performance, Google points to external tests from GameBench in the presentation, which attest to the gaming Chromebooks’ consistently smooth, responsive gaming experience at 120 frames per second and input latency of under 85 ms.

Cloud gaming through and through

For the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook cloud gaming Chromebooks, Google says it worked with Nvidia to enable GeForce NOW’s highest membership level RTX 3080 on these devices.

Even demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Crysis 3 Remastered are said to be playable on the devices at up to 120 FPS and in a 1600p resolution.

It also said it has worked with Microsoft to integrate Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) via an installable web app on the Chromebook. Here, the subscription also gives you hundreds of current games to choose from, such as Forza Horizon 5, Grounded and Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Lightweight and powerful

Acer Chromebook 516 GE, ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook combine the compact design and light weight of a Chromebook with powerful components like latest Intel Core processors.

RGB (Acer & Lenovo only) and anti-ghosting keyboards enable responsive gaming and are specifically designed for the fast input requirements in gaming. However, Google does not go into details about the technical specifications. Even the product websites of the three cloud gaming Chromebooks only provide rudimentary information.

According to that, all three models rely on an unspecified Intel Core i5 CPU, 8 GB or in the case of the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip even 16 GB working memory and 256 GB or 512 GB system memory.

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Prices and Availability

However, the three new cloud gaming Chromebooks from Acer, Asus and Lenovo are expected to wait until early 2023 in this country, while they will launch in the US as early as October.

Prices start at $399.99 for the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook in the US, while the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is priced at $649.99. The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip, on the other hand, starts at $699 with 8GB of RAM, and an upgrade to 16GB of RAM costs $729.00. For more details, check out Google’s Gaming Chromebook overview page.