Update January 4, 2023, at 2:12 PM EST – Clearly, I forgot that the Ultimate tier was already available, and the update bumps its specs significantly instead of introducing it as a new option. Sorry about that! I’ll endeavor to use Nvidia more in the future. Again, since I came from Stadia, I haven’t invested […]
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As Chrome OS has evolved, the gaming scene has come along with it. With game streaming, web games, Android games, and upcoming Steam game support, Chromebooks are becoming a go-to place for casual gamers. As it evolves, we're tracking along with that development and you can see it all here on Chrome Unboxed.
Google may have improved its ad policy, but these mobile game practices should still be illegal
On September 30, 2022, Google made effective its new Developer Program Policy which – among other things – stated that developers could no longer shove a full-screen ad in your face at random times during the gameplay experience of your favorite apps. Full-screen video “interstitial ads”, as they’re called, are now outlawed in video, GIF, […]
Continue ReadingNvidia Shield TV’s PC GameStream feature is going away soon, use SteamLink instead, I guess
In a customer help article posted this week, Nvidia announced that this upcoming February, it would soon be retiring the GameStream for PC feature that allowed those with an Nvidia graphics card to stream their PC games to their living room TV via the Shield TV set-top box on their local network. Starting in mid-February, […]
Continue ReadingYou can now play select Ubisoft games on PC via Amazon Luna without channel subscriptions
I’ve never “subscribed” to the idea of Amazon’s Luna Channel membership model. To be frank, I think it’s a ploy to nickel and dime users under the guise of offering more choice. I’m sure some of you prefer it to Stadia’s one and done subscription model, but I’m not that type of gamer. Announced just […]
Continue ReadingEnjoying Fortnite’s graphics upgrade from a gaming Chromebook and GeForce NOW
A couple of days ago, Fortnite maker Epic Games announced a pretty substantial facelift that was launching for their flagship game with the latest Season 4 release. Being a game that is as cross-platform as they come (you can play it on Android, PC, XBOX, PlayStation, GeForce NOW, and more), no one has ever really […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Stadia begins the process of refunding your hardware and controller purchases
If you’ve been a long-time Google Stadia cloud gaming fan, you’re no doubt heartbroken at the current state of the platform. Well, what’s left of it, anyway. In January, the service is shutting down its consumer-focused games, and instead focusing on the white-label offering for B2B infrastructure. It’s a shame that no one really cares […]
Continue ReadingGoogle allegedly paid game developers millions of dollars to block Play Store competition
Do you ever wonder why there aren’t more Google Play Store competitors sprouting up over the past few years? Well, wonder no more! Google has allegedly paid 24 big app developers to avoid doing exactly this, and they consist of some of the largest companies in the gaming space. As per Reuters, Activision Blizzard (World […]
Continue ReadingLuna may become the next Google Stadia thanks to Amazon’s 10,000-person job cut rampage
I don’t need to remind you of the travesty that befell Google’s Stadia cloud gaming platform this year. While it’s still available for the time being, we’re coming up on the literal “deadline” for its shutdown, and cloud gaming as a whole is taking a massive blow. Many people never took it seriously as a […]
Continue ReadingThe Android Backbone One controller is finally available for cloud and mobile gamers
The Android version of the impressive Backbone One gaming controller became available for preorder nearly six months ago, and since then, the company worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Sony to create an iOS-focused PlayStation-branded version of the accessory. Unfortunately, since PlayStation Remote Play streaming kind of sucks on Android (unless you use Chiaki and have a decent […]
Continue ReadingICYMI: Jimmy Kimmel rambles while Guillermo ups his Chromebook “game”
Just in case you missed the news, Google has been leaning heavily into gaming on ChromeOS. Even though we’re a mere two months away from the sunsetting of Google’s in-house streaming game service Stadia, the ChromeOS team has been putting in work to highlight the still-available cloud-gaming services that work perfectly on Chromebooks. These include […]
Continue ReadingNVIDIA has a great new option for gifting GeForce NOW to others for the holidays
It’s the time of year where great gifts become priority number one until they are found, secured, and packaged up for giving later in the year. We see it everywhere, from brick-and-mortar stores to online retailers: deals are everywhere you look. But what if you aren’t necessarily looking for a deal and instead are after […]
Continue ReadingDoes your Chromebook support Steam gaming?
Just in case you hadn’t heard, Google is getting very serious about making ChromeOS a formidable gaming platform. Despite the untimely demise of Google’s streaming game service Stadia, the folks at Alphabet have high hopes that Chromebooks can still attract a wide range of gamers from every genre and platform imaginable. It all started back […]
Continue ReadingA natural consequence of the Stadia refund process nets gamers negative on Play Points
Stadians woke up to an odd surprise yesterday when they started noticing that their Google Play Store points balance had a negative symbol next to it. Unfortunately, this is no mistake, but rather an unfortunate side effect of the Stadia Refund process as Google shutters its cloud gaming platform. Users across Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook […]
Continue ReadingGoogle has started issuing Stadia refunds, but don’t expect them immediately
Everyone knows by now that Google Stadia is dead. These are words that I didn’t think I would be writing, at least not only a handful of years after the service launched. The tech giant unceremoniously axed its golden opportunity to continue positively affecting the gaming community and shaping its future, even though it claims […]
Continue ReadingHow to play Xbox games on your Chromebook using the new Cloud Gaming Beta web app
Last year, Microsoft announced that its Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta would be set free from the bounds of consoles and its Windows PC application. Shortly thereafter, it became a web app, or PWA, and thanks to this change, anyone can play Xbox games on their Chromebooks or anywhere there is a browser. Let’s take a […]
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