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Why don't Chromebooks have any good games?
Jul 17, 2023
Cassius Rockwell
by Cassius Rockwell

Understanding the Chromebook's Purpose

Before we dive into the topic of why Chromebooks don’t have any good games, it's important to understand what Chromebooks are designed for. Chromebooks are essentially low-cost laptops that run on Google's Chrome operating system. These devices are built to be lightweight, efficient, and optimized for web-based applications, such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive. The primary purpose of a Chromebook is to offer a reliable, affordable, and easy-to-use device for web browsing, streaming, and basic productivity tasks.

The Limitations of Chrome OS

Google's Chrome operating system (OS) is a streamlined OS, which means it doesn’t have the capacity to run high-end, resource-intensive games, unlike Windows or MacOS. The Chrome OS is designed to be lightweight and fast, prioritizing web-based applications over heavy-duty software. This is one of the reasons why you don't see many high-quality games available for Chromebooks. The system simply isn't built to handle them.

Graphics and Processing Power

When it comes to gaming, one of the most important factors is the device's graphics and processing power. Most Chromebooks come with integrated graphics and lower-end processors, which are great for tasks like web browsing or streaming videos, but not so much for gaming. These components simply do not have the power to support the complex graphics and high-speed processing that many modern games require. As a result, even if some games were compatible with Chrome OS, they wouldn't run smoothly due to these hardware limitations.

Chromebook's Storage Capacity

Another major factor that limits gaming on Chromebooks is storage capacity. Chromebooks are designed to be cloud-based devices, meaning they rely heavily on Google Drive for storage rather than local storage. Because of this, most Chromebooks come with a relatively small amount of local storage space, usually around 32GB to 64GB. This is sufficient for storing documents and some apps, but it falls short when it comes to the storage requirements of many modern games, which can easily take up tens or even hundreds of gigabytes. This lack of storage space makes it virtually impossible to install and run high-quality games on a Chromebook.

Google's Focus on Education and Business

Lastly, we need to consider Google's primary target market for Chromebooks: the education and business sectors. These groups value affordability, simplicity, and efficiency, which is exactly what Chromebooks offer. They are not necessarily looking for devices that can run high-quality games. As a result, Google has not invested a lot of resources into making Chromebooks gaming-friendly. Instead, they have focused on improving the features that their target customers find most valuable, like collaboration tools and cloud-based applications.

In conclusion, while Chromebooks may not be the best choice for gaming, they do serve a specific purpose and market. They are excellent tools for web-based work and learning, offering a simple, affordable, and reliable solution for these needs. So, if you're a gamer, you might want to look into other options. But if you need a device for school or work, a Chromebook could be just what you need.