Today was a sad day for Google gamers, but I promise you, it’s not the end of the world. I’m here to share some very exciting news that I discovered this morning on my way to the office.

It’s no secret that Google has long been working to introduce more ways to game on ChromeOS. What started with Android apps then expanded to Stadia, opening the door to other streaming game services like GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Google announced that it had partnered with Valve to bring native Steam gaming to ChromeOS using the same container technology responsible for Linux on Chromebooks. Exciting things.

Over the past year, we’ve tracked growing evidence that “gaming” Chromebooks were on the way. It started with the work being done to bring RGB keyboards to Chromebooks and more recently we’ve seen the addition of 120Hz displays and variable refresh rates to the Chromium repository. The 120Hz display was made official earlier this month when Lenovo announced its upcoming IdeaPad 5i Chromebook. While exciting, this Chromebook offered little off-screen gaming innovation. It has low-end 12th Gen Intel CPUs and solid specs, but it certainly wasn’t aimed at gamers.

Today, Lenovo quietly slipped a new Chromebook on the company’s product specification reference website and it is certainly aimed specifically at ChromeOS gamers. So much so that “gaming” is actually in the product name. Yes, here we have the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook. Check out this little demo video I dug up.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook

Okay. Before we get into the details of this new, utterly unique Chromebook, I need to qualify my title. I’ve put “gaming” in parentheses because there isn’t much on the inside of this device that really sets it apart from all the other 12th Gen Intel Chromebooks that hit the market. Still, this premium laptop has some features that should definitely appeal to the game-oriented user.

Thus, the unreleased and unannounced Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook is virtually identical to the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook Key announced early this month. You get a 16-inch QHD display with a 120Hz refresh rate in a clamshell chassis with two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and a MicroSD card slot. Where the two devices differ is what makes the new IdeaPad much more appealing to someone who enjoys gaming.

For starters, the Lenovo Gaming Chromebook comes with 4 speakers instead of two, which should make for a more immersive audio experience. Then you have a full-size RGB keyboard with an integrated numeric keypad. This keyboard style is very popular among gamers and Google is working on giving users control over supported RGB keyboards directly from the ChromeOS settings menu. Then there is the outside of the device. The top is aluminum and the bottom is plastic, which is standard for many Lenovo Chromebooks, but the lid has a unique design that definitely sets it apart from your standard ChromeOS laptop.

I’m sure we’ll get more details about the design and style of this new Chromebook when Lenovo makes it official. In the meantime, I’m just enjoying the look of this thing. Will it be the most powerful Chromebook on the market? No. In fact, Framework’s recently announced modular Chromebook will be at the top of that list for now, as it’s powered by a P-series 16-thread Intel CPU. That said, the Lenovo Gaming Chromebook features 12th generation Intel Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs. The latter is equipped with Iris Xe graphics. As we learned, this chip is more than powerful enough to handle Steam games. When Google brings Steam to the Core i3, I have no doubt that it can handle most games quite well too.

It is likely that Lenovo could market the Core i3 model as the “cloud gaming” device and the Core i5 as the laptop for those who want to play Steam games. Again, we’ll have to wait for an announcement of those details. Until then, here are the specs of what could be the world’s very first Chromebook designed for gamers.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook Specifications

  • Chrome OS
  • Intel Core i3-1215U or Intel Core i5-1235U
  • 8GB RAM
  • Up to 512 GB NVMe storage
  • 16″ 2.5K (2560×1600) IPS 350nits Antiglare, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, TÜV Low Blue Light
  • 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard
  • Aluminum Sheet
  • FHD webcam with privacy hatch
  • 2 x USB-C
  • 2 x USB-A
  • microSD
  • audio cable
  • Stereo speakers, 2W x4, optimized with Waves MaxxAudio
  • Wi-Fi 6/Bluetooth 5.1

Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to hear more about this exciting new Chromebook. We will be sure to contact Lenovo to get one for review as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more.