Ready, Aim, Cloud! CES 2023 First Look: The Asus Vibe CX34 Flip Shrinks the Gaming Chromebook

The Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip is the second gaming Chromebook from Asus, a 14-inch follow-up to the larger 16-inch Asus Vibe Chromebook it launched late in 2022. We were able to spend some time with this slick cloud gaming laptop firsthand at CES 2023.

A Chromebook Better-Equipped for Gaming

As a gaming Chromebook, the Vibe CX34 combines the expected lightweight ChromeOS with above-average hardware. The option for up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor—yes, Core i7!—inside drives the performance necessary for cloud gaming services, such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 6E networking gives you best-in-class connectivity, and the 2-in-1 design provides flexibility for laptop and tablet gaming, outpacing other gaming Chromebooks with both a touch screen and a multi-mode design.

(Credit: John Burek)

Other gaming-grade features include a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution touch screen, with a taller 16:10 aspect ratio and 144Hz refresh rate that will easily keep up with the 120Hz output of most cloud gaming services. The 14-inch IPS panel uses Asus' NanoEdge design, surrounding the display with slim bezels so you get the most screen for the size of the laptop. That jumps out at you before you even power up this machine.

The keyboard also gets some gamer-friendly touches, with RGB multi-colored backlighting and anti-ghosting technology. The latter lets you hammer away at the keys as fast as your fingers will let you, without sacrificing accuracy due to skipped detection of key presses.

(Credit: John Burek)

As noted, the Vibe CX34 has a smaller 14-inch footprint, making it more portable than the 16-inch models that we've seen so far in gaming Chromebooks. And, with a 2-in-1 convertible design, it can be a tablet as well as a laptop…

(Credit: John Burek)

That's some great added functionality in a standard Chromebook, but in a gaming Chromebook that also makes it ideal for Android games, which are supported by ChromeOS. Plus: Productivity and creative use both get a boost, thanks to an included stylus, which stores in the Chromebook chassis when not in use.

(Credit: John Burek)

A Superb-Looking Sophomore Gaming Chromebook

After some brief hands-on time with the Vibe CX34, I came away impressed with its striking design and color scheme. It looks better than most of the gaming Chromebooks we've seen, thanks to a pearly white finish and brightly contrasting orange WASD keys on the keyboard.

(Credit: John Burek)

The Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip will be available with several processor options, from an Intel 12th Gen Core i3 up to a Core i7 U-Series CPU with Intel Iris Xe Graphics. Memory tops out at 16GB, with as much as 512GB of SSD storage. Asus claims up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, but we'll have to wait for our lab testing to see how closely these claims track with reality.

Pricing and availability details haven't been announced yet, but we expect to see the new Chromebook during the first quarter of 2023.