Play PS5 games on Chromebook
A Chromebook cannot run a game. That is exactly what makes it ideal for controlling a remote PlayStation 5: it simply displays video and sends button presses back, exactly the job it was designed to do.
Updated on
The maths, in euros
The argument is simple arithmetic. A Chromebook costs between €250 and €400, while a PlayStation 5 Slim has cost €649.99 since April 2026. The Chromebook does not depreciate like a console, can also be used for work, and displays exactly the same picture when the computing happens elsewhere. Google built ChromeOS around this very idea: the machine is a window, not an engine.
Two caveats, one costing €15
Two caveats. Entry-level Chromebooks often have basic Wi-Fi, and on this type of machine the network card matters more than the processor: a €15 USB Ethernet adaptor solves the problem better than a more expensive model. And the screen, often 1366 by 768 and dim on the cheapest models, does not do a 1080p stream justice.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| System | ChromeOS, any supported version |
| Client | Chrome, nothing to install |
| Decoding | Hardware decoding on every machine certified since 2020 |
| Controller | DualSense over Bluetooth or USB |
| Screen | The machine's screen, or a monitor via HDMI |
| Connection | 25 Mbit/s minimum, 40 comfortable |
Swipe the table to see all the columns.
The setup, in four steps
- Connect a USB Ethernet adaptor if an Ethernet socket is within reach
- Pair the DualSense controller over Bluetooth, or connect it via USB
- Open ploud.cloud in Chrome, then switch to full screen
- Check in chrome://gpu that video decoding is hardware-accelerated
The game runs on a physical PlayStation 5 hosted in France and dedicated to you alone. You sign in to your PlayStation Network account and play your own titles: Ploud rents console time, never games. The millisecond breakdown is in cloud gaming latency, and the financial comparison is in rent or buy a PS5.
A €649.99 console on one side, a browser tab on the other. Reserve your spot.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Chromebook enough for cloud gaming?
Yes, it is the ideal device: it does no computing; it only displays the stream. Every machine certified since 2020 decodes the stream in hardware.
Do you need to enable developer mode or Linux?
No. Chrome is enough: there is nothing to install and no system settings to change.
Is an entry-level Chromebook suitable?
Yes for processing power, less so for the network and screen. A €15 USB Ethernet adaptor helps more than a model costing twice as much.
Can you connect an external screen?
Yes, via HDMI or USB-C. Remember to enable Game mode if you connect it to a TV.
Read next
Play PS5 games on Linux
Neither Proton, Wine nor a virtual machine can run a PlayStation game on Linux. A remote PlayStation 5 only needs Chromium or Moonlight, both in the repositories.
ReadRent a PS5 or buy one
A PlayStation 5 Slim has cost €649.99 since April 2026. Rented at €2.68 an hour, the same console works out cheaper as long as you play less than about 240 hours. Beyond that, buying regains the advantage.
ReadLatency in cloud gaming
Latency in cloud gaming is the sum of six legs, only one of which cannot be reduced: distance. The rest can be tuned, and two free settings, the TV's Game mode and switching to Ethernet, often remove more time than everything else combined.
Read
Have a console ready before the releases
People on the list book before everyone else. No payment now, a single email when we open.