Cloud gaming on a Chromebook? Absolutely - here's a budget option I recommend

Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is disposable present for $549.
• Its bright, 120Hz show plays nicely with a coagulated processor, making it fast, responsive, and optimized for unreality gaming.
• Despite being a gaming Chromebook, the keyboard isn't great.

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When Google announced the merchandise of six caller Chromebook Plus devices successful precocious 2024, each eyes were connected the caller models from Acer, HP, and Asus. I was fortunate capable to get my hands connected the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, a beefed-up refresh of the erstwhile unreality gaming model. 

Also: Should you instrumentality gaming connected Chromebooks seriously? Nvidia's latest determination says it all

Chromebook Plus refers to devices that are mostly the aforesaid arsenic "regular" Chromebooks (light, agile, tally connected ChromeOS, and are designed for the cloud) but boast much robust hardware and leverage Google's Gemini for a big of AI functionalities.

The AI functionality successful the caller Chromebook Plus devices ranges from flashy features similar generative AI wallpapers to photo editing tools successful the Google Photos app and Google Chrome's Help Me Write app. More notably though, they travel with Gemini connected each instrumentality and the summation of the Quick Insert cardinal wherever Caps Lock lives. 

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 120U from Intel's "Raptor Lake" bid from 2024. This is simply a almighty processor recovered successful overmuch much costly laptops and the powerfulness down the gaming performance. This, on with the sharp-looking 16-inch WQXGA show with a 120Hz refresh complaint and decent speakers marque it look much similar a coagulated gaming laptop than a Chromebook.

Also: This Acer laptop from past twelvemonth is impervious that you don't request to upgrade successful 2026

That said, Acer's Chromebook Plus 516 GE is designed for unreality gaming, not for playing games disconnected of its section drive. It tin travel with up to 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD storage, but starts astatine 256GB with 8GB of RAM. This is not a lot, but it's good for a instrumentality that's designed to enactment astir exclusively disconnected the cloud.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

In that vein, the laptop features a 2.5G Gigabit Ethernet LAN larboard on with Wi-Fi 6E for aggregate connectivity options. Other ports connected this instrumentality see an HDMI port, 1 USB-A port, 2 USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington fastener slot. It charges via USB-C.

In my investigating of the 516 GE, I fired up GeForce NOW and launched a fewer antithetic titles. Performance was rather bully crossed the committee connected Diablo IV, Manor Lords, and immoderate much casual titles. Everything was up and moving wrong seconds with awesome performance, but high-end titles astatine max graphics volition propulsion it to its limits. 

Also: The champion Chromebooks for students successful 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

It's casual to use, though. The device's startup clip is swift, and app launches are conscionable arsenic fast. Switching backmost and distant betwixt apps is besides responsive. 

I'm not going to accidental this is the champion gaming laptop I've ever used, but fixed what it's designed for, its show was impressive, and folks into unreality gaming volition perfectly admit however bully it feels.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The upgraded hardware successful the caller enactment of Chromebook Plus enables the devices to clasp multitasking and productivity successful a mode that was, let's look it, a small hit-or-miss connected erstwhile models. Google touts astir treble the processing power, treble the memory, and treble the retention connected Plus models, letting you tally industry-standard creator apps similar Adobe Photoshop oregon Lumafusion. 

Regarding the laptop's carnal appearance, the show is decidedly the champion part. The 16-inch matte surface gets rather agleam and features a 100% sRGB colour gamut. If you've work immoderate of my erstwhile reviews, you'll announcement I can't basal a dim display, and this 1 doesn't disappoint. Also, contempt not having a dedicated graphics card, visuals look crisp and smooth.

Also: This premium Lenovo Chromebook made maine hide astir my MacBook and Windows PC

The remainder of the laptop is alternatively nondescript. The keyboard is made of achromatic integrative with achromatic sides that emulate a backlight, but successful my sentiment doesn't bash overmuch to represent a sleek design. The glossy achromatic decorativeness connected the assemblage is simply a magnet for fingerprints, and the integrative bezels surrounding the show are what you'd expect from a laptop astatine this terms point. 

Normally, I would accidental the deficiency of a full-sized keyboard connected a 16-inch laptop holds it back, but successful this case, the other existent property elongates the Ctrl, Shift, and Alt keys. While this is simply a bully touch, the keyboard arsenic a full is inactive benignant of "mushy". Also, the arrow keys are small, which is simply a small puzzling, and the deficiency of labeling connected the apical enactment of keys (which enactment arsenic relation keys) is not convenient for gamers who usage those cardinal binds. 

ZDNET's buying advice

If you're a gamer who chiefly streams disconnected the unreality and is looking for a portable, susceptible device, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is simply a fantastic option, particularly for the price. It doesn't person a high-end video paper oregon tons of RAM, but the display's accelerated refresh complaint and coagulated processor marque it well-suited for streaming games and multimedia. 

Also: How overmuch RAM does your PC truly request successful 2026? A Windows and Mac expert's opinion

Despite its niche adjacent the apical of the enactment of gaming Chromebooks, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE would besides marque a coagulated instrumentality to instrumentality to enactment with its beardown artillery beingness and bully processor.

To entice radical to articulation the Chromebook Plus party, Google is offering the Google One AI Premium plan for escaped for a twelvemonth to caller users. This gives you not lone upgraded retention but besides enables you to usage Gemini Advanced, including successful Docs and Gmail.