In an odd turn of events, Google Chromebooks are set to become gaming devices, with three new models set to sport cloud gaming functionality.

Chromebooks are typically known as light, portable and cheap productivity devices running Chrome OS, where gaming laptops are the exact opposite, being big, bulky and expensive to account for their powerful specs.

However, thanks to the growing development of cloud gaming, Google has announced that three new Chromebooks will unlock premium gaming experiences without the need for hardware, but instead streaming games as one would with Netflix or Amazon Prime.

The three new devices are the Acer Chromebook 516, the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook, all of which will still serve their initial purpose of being light and portable productivity devices.

In addition, the trio is compatible with Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna+ and Xbox Cloud Gaming, which give users a combined library of 1,400 games, 100 of which are free-to-play.

Whilst many Chromebooks also already support these services, Google has said that the new devices are designed to improve the gaming experience.

Like the gaming machines you would find offered by Alienware, MSI, and even Lenovo and Acer, all three models sport anti-ghosting keyboards, which ensure that keys are sent in the correct order and without error. On top of that, the Acer and Lenovo’s keyboards are also RGB.

The Lenovo and Acer both have 16:10, 1600p displays and 120Hz refresh rates and support for Wi-Fi 6E, whilst the Asus has a slightly faster, lower resolution 16:9 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate, but only Wi-Fi 6 support.

That being said, the Asus stands higher as a productivity device, with a flip form-factor that allows it to be used as a tablet.

All three devices sport at least 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and no dedicated GPU, but have three different 12th-Gen Intel processors.

The Lenovo sports a Core i3-1215U and the Acer a Core i5-1240P. Asus has not disclosed the specs of it’s new device.

As Chromebooks are known for being, all three devices sport cheap price tags, making them a great option for those looking for a cheap entry into PC gaming.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook starts at $599 USD (roughly $956 AUD), the Acer Chromebook 16 GE at $650 USD (roughly 1037 AUD) and the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 at $399 USD (roughly $637 AUD). All three come with three months of GeForce Now RTX 3080 and Amazon Luna+.

The new notebooks are due for release later this month, with local pricing and availability yet to be announced.