In 2023, Google partnered with different PC makers to create Chromebook Plus—a new line of its stripped-down spin on a laptop running its own OS. The idea was to offer a more powerful version of the Chromebook to those who wanted that extra oomph. And before Christmas, Google sent me a new Chromebook Plus from Acer so I could check out this device’s gaming capabilities. After a few weeks with it, I’m happy to report that this is a solid laptop that I might buy in the future. But it’s not a great way to play most games.
The Acer 516 GE is the specific Chromebook Plus I was sent to review. And before I leap into my issues with streaming on it, I should clarify that the device itself is sleek, modern, has a solid battery life, and never gave me any technical issues. Watching videos, writing, and surfing the web using the Acer Chromebook Plus was a very enjoyable experience.
In the past, I’ve used Chromebooks and didn’t enjoy it. The stripped-down ChromeOS-powered laptops have been around for a decade or so now, but whenever I touched one, I always walked away disappointed by the lack of performance and function.
Now, in 2025, as more apps are web-based and mobile hardware has become incredibly fast, using a Chromebook isn’t painful. In fact, while using the Acer 516 GE I would forget it was a Chromebook, as many things I do every day on a computer—check my email, chat with co-workers, read news, and write stories—are done through a browser anyway. As a result, I never had a problem using the Acer 516 GE. Well, until I tried to play games.
The 516 GE Chromebook Plus is marketed heavily as a gamer-focused device. Google sent it to me, a writer at Kotaku, because its supposedly a gamer-friendly device. But if you know anything about ChomeOS and Chromebooks, you know that these things can’t play high-end games. The solution? The power of the cloud.
That’s the big selling point of the 516 GE. You don’t have to download games or worry about tech requirements. Just log into your preferred game streaming service and play stuff like Cyberpunk 2077 or Fortnite instantly. And maybe, in another five years, this promise will become a reality, but for now streaming games is still a bad way to play stuff.
I tried Fortnite, Cyberpunk 2077, and Gears 5 using different methods including Game Pass, Nvidia Geforce Now, and Amazon Luna. And while some were better than others, none of them matched the experience of playing a game natively on a device like a console or PC.
Now, you can install Steam on the 516 GE (it has a speical built-in feature to allow this) and using what I assume is Proton, I was able to play some 2D games like Vampire Survivors and Balatro just fine on the 516 GE. But that’s not impressive in a world where my phone can do that, too. No, the big selling point of this device is being able to play high-end, AAA video games on the go with no downloading and without having to shell out thousands of dollars on a dedicated gaming laptop.
Sadly, in 2025, even with Google Fiber internet (which I have), the 516 GE can’t remove the lag, choppiness, and visual artifacts that you encounter when streaming games.
So, if you are looking for a powerful Chromebook that can play some basic 2D games and retro stuff (I was able to get Turok running on it without any issues) then the 516 GE is worth checking out. Just don’t expect it and its game-streaming capabilities to replace your Switch, Steam Deck, or PS5 anytime soon.
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