Gaming-Centric Chromebooks Reportedly in the Works

Google might finally enter its Chromebooks into the gaming laptop scene, and they may arrive sooner than we expected, according to a new report.

9to5Google reports that three codenames for potential gaming-centric Chromebooks have been spotted: Vell, Taniks, and Ripple. The outlet claims that all three of the Chromebooks are equipped with RGB keyboards, and that the latter is a tablet with a detachable keyboard.

9toGoogle speculates that HP and Lenovo are working on the products based on employee contributions to Chrome OS.

Alongside the report of gaming-centric Chromebooks, the outlet also notes that a new Chrome flag or experimental feature has been spotted in the operating system that allows the user to toggle RGB keyboard support. RGB keyboards in gaming laptops are not surprising as several laptop makers, including MSI and Razer, have made laptops that feature RGB keyboards.

The report is no surprise as Google has slowly been shifting in this direction. Two years ago, the tech giant revealed that it was working on Steam support for its Linux-based Chromebooks. Last year, as part of a GDC presentation, Nvidia demoed supported for DLSS and ray tracing working on Arm-based laptops, which can benefit Chromebooks using applicable Arm CPUs.

The news is also coming as Valve is preparing to launch its portable gaming PC, the Steam Deck next month. Like Chromebooks, Valve’s forthcoming handheld uses a Linux-based operating system.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.