Is it what gamers really want?

ASUS has a powerful affect within the gaming market. Its computer systems are liked by players, usually providing nice worth, efficiency, and beautiful designs. The corporate additionally presents many equipment, PC elements, and different merchandise catering to the gaming group. Now it’s making an attempt to dominate the nascent gaming Chromebook market with merchandise just like the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip.

Does this new gaming-focused Chromebook have what it takes to win the hearts of players? Let’s dissect the idea and decipher who this Chromebook is for in our ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip assessment.

• ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage): $769.99
• ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (Core i5, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage): $869.99

Launched at CES 2023, the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is a Chrome OS laptop computer that caters to players. It has {powerful} specs (for a Chromebook) and a gamer-centric design meant to ship an total nice expertise for native gaming, whereas additionally being optimized for cloud gaming to run extra demanding titles.

It prices $869.99 within the USA if purchased from ASUS instantly, although a less expensive model with much less storage and RAM is on the market from Amazon and B&H. The mannequin I examined was the highest model within the US with a twelfth gen Alder Lake Intel Core i5 processor with built-in Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Different variants can be found in numerous markets. For instance, some include an Intel Core i3 processor, and different higher-end fashions embrace the Intel Core i7 chip. 128GB of storage can be an possibility in different markets.

The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is barely obtainable in Pearl White and comes with an included stylus with its personal storage.

First, let’s discuss in regards to the product itself. I’ll get extra into the entire gaming side and the very idea of a gaming Chromebook in a separate part, as a result of that subject deserves its personal focus. The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is, by far, the best-designed Chromebook I’ve examined so far, and I’ve examined many.

The Vibe CX34 Flip is constructed fantastically. Whereas made largely of plastic, it doesn’t really feel low-cost in any respect, and it doesn’t look low-cost both. It has a clear white design with a easy brand. You truthfully wouldn’t have the ability to inform it’s a gaming Chromebook if it wasn’t for the orange WASD buttons and different orange accents — that is removed from the RGB nightmare of some gaming laptops. Its elegant aesthetics guarantee it seems to be at residence in any surroundings, even an workplace. It feels sturdy, too; and it’s. The unit is MIL-STD 810H compliant, which suggests it ought to have the ability to stand up to a beating gracefully.

Design apart, the pc is super-powerful for a Chromebook. This mannequin has a twelfth gen Intel Core i5 processor — an improve over the eleventh gen chip present in ASUS’ earlier Vibe machine, the bigger Vibe CX55 Flip — and 16GB of RAM. Mix that with the simplicity and effectivity of Chrome OS, and this factor flies. I believed common Chromebooks have been already quick, however I used to be truly impressed to see what extra {powerful} and newer elements can do on this working system. Apps and web sites launched near immediately. And it has Wi-Fi 6E, which suggests it may make the most of higher web efficiency in case you have a appropriate router and a quick sufficient web connection. I’ve Wi-Fi 6 and a gigabit connection, and it labored amazingly.

I even used it for RAW photograph enhancing, and it gave me no hiccups operating Lightroom cellular. It truly appeared to carry out higher than on my Home windows laptop computer with very related specs, even when solely by a bit. Can it sport, although? Once more, we’ll discuss extra about that later.

The 14-inch 16:10 LCD touchscreen is beautiful, even with a 1,920 x 1,200 decision. To not say that the WUXGA panel is unhealthy, however many players choose one thing like QHD and even larger lately. Nonetheless, that’s loads to ask from a Chromebook, and it seems to be very good in individual. Plus, it has a 144Hz refresh price, so that you’re in a position to hit some fairly excessive body charges in some video games (albeit with out variable refresh price help), and normal navigation is fluid. It additionally will get moderately vivid at 400 nits by way of LED backlights, however I nonetheless wasn’t in a position to view the laptop computer display comfortably in direct daylight. It’s doubtless most individuals received’t be utilizing it within the solar very a lot, but it surely’s price noting if you happen to truly will.

ASUS has made a giant deal about its collaboration with Harman/Kardon for the audio system, and the outcomes are nearly as good as we anticipated. The audio is full and loud for a Chromebook, with no distortion to be heard, even when the amount is maxed out. The audio system nonetheless don’t get loud sufficient to be appreciated comfortably in a loud space, however they’ll work nice in a comparatively quiet room. After all, you are able to do higher with good exterior audio system and there’s a headphone jack for loud and intense gaming periods, however these will work completely in a pinch.

The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip comes with a backlit chiclet keyboard. ASUS says it’s spill-resistant, however I didn’t dare check that. So far as typing goes, the expertise was nice, total. It’s not an impressive keyboard by any means, however it’s higher than common. The spacing is snug, it’s fairly clicky, and the important thing journey is fairly good.

Ports are one other space the place the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is fairly excellent. It incorporates a USB-A 3.2 gen 2 port, in addition to a few USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connections. You need to use considered one of these to develop usability with an excellent adapter. There may be additionally a 3.5mm headset jack and a microSD reader. As if these weren’t ok, you additionally get an HDMI 2.1 port, which helps 4K decision displays, in addition to larger refresh charges. ASUS doesn’t specify max monitor refresh charges, and sadly, I’ve no 4K monitor to check, however the HDMI 2.1 specification may in principle deal with upwards of 120Hz at 4K, although the Vibe CX34 Flip received’t get near having the ability to push that many frames at such a excessive decision.

Ports are necessary for gaming, and this one goes above and past when in comparison with most conventional Chromebooks. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 has two USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headset jack. Actually, solely different gaming Chromebooks and higher-end choices just like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 can get near it.

My first criticism is just not actually a real criticism, however extra of an statement. Because the title entails, the display will be flipped all the way in which to make use of in pill mode, if most well-liked. You can too use tent mode and all of the in-betweens. This is able to make you consider the machine is made with a sure stage of mobility in thoughts, however regardless of being smaller and lighter than the earlier CX55 Flip, the Vibe CX34 Flip continues to be fairly giant and heavy to make use of in pill mode.

It weighs 1.81kg (3.99 lbs), which is slightly heavy once you examine it to extra svelte, mainstream opponents just like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, which is 1.23kg (2.71 lbs). And most different convertible Chromebooks weigh lower than 3 lbs. The physique can be 20.9mm (0.82 inches) thick, whereas one thing just like the aforementioned Galaxy Chromebook 2 measures in at 15mm (0.55 inches) in thickness. The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is a giant, beefy boy!

I used to be additionally not an enormous fan of the battery life. ASUS claims as much as 10 hours of battery life on a full cost. In my expertise, I used to be averaging extra like seven to eight. That stated, I used to be largely gaming, enhancing RAW pictures, actively shopping, or watching movies. A few of these are very resource-intensive duties for a Chromebook, particularly one with such {powerful} specs and a very nice display with excessive refresh charges.

Regardless, seven to eight hours, and even 10 hours, continues to be not unhealthy. It simply isn’t excellent on the planet of Chromebooks. Many fashionable Chromebooks can deal with 12 hours or extra, although players know they are going to usually must sacrifice battery life for efficiency.

One factor that did actually annoy me was the battery life on the garaged stylus. The stylus works nice, is responsive, is made from good-quality steel, and is housed comfortably within the laptop computer’s physique. It’s a dream come true for a photographer like me. I used to be utilizing it to edit and loving it, however my enjoyment by no means lasted that lengthy. The stylus would all the time die on me after round 45 minutes of utilization. It was then rendered nugatory and needed to be put again in its slot for charging.

I perceive I could also be asking an excessive amount of because of my lengthy enhancing periods, however I really feel like this may trouble many different customers, too. It’s positively price protecting in thoughts if you happen to plan to get this Chromebook and truly care in regards to the stylus.

After all, the 720p webcam can be fairly unhealthy. Contemplating the excessive value for a Chromebook, a 1080p digicam wouldn’t have been an excessive amount of to ask for. A minimum of you get a webcam privateness shutter, although! That’s fairly cool for the security-conscious amongst you.

So then, the Vibe CX34 Flip is a reasonably nice Chromebook, however is it an excellent gaming Chromebook? Nicely, it’s nearly as good as it may be, however that doesn’t disguise the truth that Chromebooks aren’t all that good for gaming within the first place.

Chromebooks modified the sport. They democratized the non-public computing market, providing units that carry out nicely, even on the decrease finish of the pricing spectrum. It additionally helps that these machines are quite simple to function and may effectively do what most individuals do on-line. This made Chrome OS an ideal, reasonably priced various to a Home windows or Apple laptop computer for issues like social media, normal net shopping, creating paperwork, taking notes, and you may even use Android apps.

For this reason I used to be left scratching my head after I first began listening to about gaming Chromebooks. After spending a while with the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip, I’m nonetheless scratching my head; I really feel like Chrome OS goes by an id disaster. Let me attempt to clarify why.

So, these gaming Chromebooks aren’t precisely sensible for native gaming, a minimum of proper now. The specs are spectacular for Chrome OS, however not {powerful} sufficient for high-end gaming on a laptop computer. There isn’t a discrete GPU, for starters. To not point out there is no such thing as a number of true PC video games obtainable for Chromebooks. Steam is engaged on this, and the favored platform has a Chrome OS app in beta. I examined it and shortly realized that enjoying these video games, even utilizing this overpowered Chromebook, was practically unattainable. Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake launched, but it surely solely ran at 10fps, lagged on a regular basis, and crashed consistently, even on the bottom settings. It additionally took about 5 minutes to truly launch the sport.

That stated, Steam has a wide array of nice video games and fewer resource-intensive ones will work higher if you happen to dial down the settings.

Cloud gaming labored fantastically, although. I used to be in a position to run any sport utilizing NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Sport Move, Amazon Luna, and Boosteroid. After all, you’ll want a secure and quick web connection, however I performed very comfortably for hours on finish. Moreover, Android video games by way of the Google Play Retailer ran completely — even the extra intensive ones like Asphalt 9: Legends. In order that takes us again to the entire level. These new gaming Chromebooks aren’t designed with operating video games domestically in thoughts. They’re made for cloud gaming, and simply so occur to be {powerful} sufficient to run Android video games, identical to how Chromebooks typically are constructed with cloud computing in thoughts, not native apps and storage.

However this can be a Chromebook that prices simply shy of $900 on the high spec. And its important lure, cloud gaming, can actually be provided by any machine, and certainly any Chromebook. NVIDIA GeForce Now’s solely actual Chrome OS requirement is that the machine has a minimum of 4GB of RAM. Moreover, you may run it on macOS, Home windows, Android, iOS, Android TV, and even a browser, amongst different platforms. So in order for you a tool for cloud gaming, it can probably be the one you’re truly studying this assessment on, or nearly another.

Now, let’s say you do care about native gaming, and Chromebooks begin launching with devoted GPUs, they usually can run severe titles. This one is already $869.99. Throwing a devoted GPU at it’s going to solely inflate the value additional. At that time, gaming Chromebook producers will carefully compete with very severe laptops operating an precise desktop OS in all its glory. There are all kinds of {powerful} Home windows laptops on the identical value or much less, which might do each native and cloud gaming. And if you happen to occur to choose Apple, we’ve seen the MacBook Air M1 go for as little as $799 when offers come up. Restricted sport help on macOS apart (albeit greater than Chrome OS), it presents blisteringly quick efficiency, is a dependable on a regular basis device, and it may simply run video games within the cloud.

Likewise, whereas gaming Chromebooks just like the Vibe CX34 Flip and the Acer Chromebook 516 GE are handsome, feature-rich, performant, and provide an total premium expertise, so do many others. Highly effective, high quality Chromebooks exist already. The one distinction is that they could not have that gaming aesthetic. And, in fact, that’s a legitimate argument. We regularly get issues based mostly on how they appear, however simply know that it could be the one actual differentiator between one thing just like the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip and one of many many different premium Chromebooks you should buy.

So, after some powerful love in regards to the state of gaming Chromebooks as an idea, the place do I stand with the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip? You may suppose I wouldn’t suggest it, however I truly love the machine! It has an ideal display, good audio, blazing efficiency, ports galore, a useful stylus, and an impressive design. I would love the way it seems to be and feels even when I wasn’t a gamer, and its formidable specs imply it’s completely able to dealing with productiveness workloads which are out of attain for some common Chromebooks.

My complaints have been only a few, they usually have been largely relating to issues I’d take into account common or fundamental versus unhealthy. It’s actually not probably the most moveable Chromebook you will get, battery life is merely OK, and its important promoting level — cloud gaming — is on the market on far cheaper units that don’t want top-end specs to stream AAA video games. In case you don’t want all this energy or want one thing just a little extra moveable, there are many different nice Chromebooks to think about.

Total although, the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is an impressive Chrome OS laptop computer. In case you like Chrome OS, and worth a high-quality pc, then this Chromebook is certainly one you’ll take pleasure in. You’ll simply must set your expectations and know what you’re getting is a succesful gaming Chromebook, not an ideal gaming laptop computer.