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Key Takeaways

  • Google is working on bringing Android's Game Dashboard feature to Chromebook devices, allowing users access to tools while playing games.
  • The Gaming Dashboard in ChromeOS is similar to how it works on Pixel phones, with features like taking screenshots, assigning control keys, and a toolbar on the left side of the screen.
  • However, the Game Dashboard in ChromeOS currently lacks certain key features like the ability to record gameplay.

Google has long been trying to enhance the Android gaming experience on Chromebooks by introducing features like keyboard controls for touch-first Android games, and more. Now, in another significant step in that direction, the Mountain View tech giant is working on bringing Android’s Game Dashboard feature to Chromebook devices to allow users access to useful tools while playing games.

Google was known to be working on the feature since February this year, but until today, all we knew was just a mention of the Game Dashboard flag in the Chromium Repositories. Nevertheless, we now have a fair idea about how it will work and what the UI looks like, courtesy of X (formerly Twitter) user @cr_c2cv, who first spotted the Gaming Dashboard capability in ChromeOS Canary 119.0.60008.

The basic idea of Gaming Dashboard in ChromeOS is similar to that of Android. The dashboard can be accessed anytime while playing games on your Chromebook, giving you access to tools to take screenshots, make the toolbar in Game Dashboard appear on the left side of the screen as you play games, and remap keys in games. As per the video posted by the X user, the Game Dashboard also has the Screen size option and a Setting button, though they currently do nothing except be there.

The Game Dashboard was originally launched as a Pixel-exclusive feature with the release of Android 12. Google later promised to bring it to more Android phones in the future, but little did we know that it would also make its way to ChromeOS. That said, the first glimpse of the Game Dashboard in Chromebooks shows Google has a lot to work on to make the tool on par with its Android counterpart. The dashboard in ChromeOS appears to be missing key features like the ability to record and share your gameplay, see the current frames per second (FPS) of the title playing, and turn on or off Do Not Disturb Mode, all of which are available in Pixel phones.

Google will take some time to make the Game Dashboard in ChromeOS more reliable and as feature-rich as that of Android. Unfortunately, there is no timeline as to how much time the company will take before pushing it to ChromeOS stable users.