Acer Chromebook 516 GE (16-inch, 2022)

Performance and endurance Great display Good price for the specs Well-built Play AAA games without your lap turning into lava

Gaming-related bugs and crashes No touchscreen Could use customizable keys

Superb performance in gaming (and everything else) ; Powerful hardware for a Chromebook, from processing to storage ; Rich port selection ; RGB keyboard with anti-ghosting tech ; Gorgeous 120Hz display

No touch screen ; USB-C ports aren't Thunderbolt 4

Acer's rousing Chromebook 516 GE is among the first Chromebooks designed specially for cloud-based gaming. If this machine is any indication, we may be seeing the birth of a promising new class of laptop.

High-performing display unmatched by even some high-end laptops ; Ethernet port for lag-free gameplay

Appeal is very specific to cloud gaming only ; Cloud gaming subscriptions needed to see true potential

Buttery-smooth performance ; Gorgeous 120Hz display ; Subtle gamer aesthetics

Keyboard backlighting is underwhelming ; On the thick side ; Charger feels a little dated

You're looking at pretty much all you need for a very compelling gaming experience.

Wonderful 120Hz display ; Fast and powerful spec ; Good for gaming and everyday use

Needs speedy broadband

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a high-spec ChromeOS laptop built for AAA gaming, and it works wonders (if your broadband is up to speed). Even if you're not a gamer the CPU and GPU spec, impressive build quality and lovely 16-inch, 120Hz display ensures...

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a 16-inch laptop weighing slightly less than four pounds. It’s not dense like my Dell, so it feels easier to tote around one-handed. It has a 2560 x 1600 resolution display, though it’s not a touchscreen like most...

Large, high-res screen ; Fast and responsive ; Decent keyboard ; Runs AAA games ; Excellent value

Not a touchscreen ; Backlit keyboard too dim ; No fingerprint scanner

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE makes cloud gaming on a laptop affordable, and does a decent job of playing AAA games via Nvidia's GeForce Now service. The 16-inch 2K screen is both large and detailed, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes for a smooth gaming...

Excellent performance ; Light and easy to carry around ; Great display and battery life

Cannot directly use Steam ; Pricey for a Chromebook with limited availability ; Poor sound quality

Though the title of the first gaming Chromebook is a bit overstated, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is an excellent gaming machine when paired with streaming services. However, it's still not capable of direct Steam gaming, which is unfortunate.

12th-gen Intel i5 CPU ; Attractive 16-inch/120Hz screen ; Slim and lightweight design ; Good connectivity

No dedicated GPU ; Only 8GB memory ; Heavily reliant on streaming game services ; Modest battery life

Taken on its own terms the Chromebook 516 GE proves to be surprisingly successful at bringing gaming to the Chromebook market. Its reliance on subscription-based streaming services for gaming won’t suit everyone - after all, you’re paying a monthly...