Google Play will be added to Chrome OS as Chromebooks overtake Macs in the US

US internet giant Google is set to bring its Android and Chrome platforms closer together with the addition of the Google Play store to Chrome OS later this year.

Chrome OS is Google’s cloud-based operating system used mainly by its low-priced Chromebook laptops. They got off to a slow start when they were first introduced in 2011 due to their lack of support for most Windows software, such as Office, but their low price is starting to win people over, much as the Atom-based netbooks did almost a decade ago, with the Verge reporting that sales of Chromebooks overtook those of Apple Macs in the US for the first time in Q1 2016.

Introducing Google Play, with its 1.5 million Android apps to Chrome OS is likely to increase that momentum. Especially since some of them confer compatibility with software like Skype and Office. This move also implies a degree of convergence between Android and Chrome OS, creating the possibility of a single unified Google computing platform in future.

Chromebooks have always been about making computing more accessible for everyone, and by bringing together the best of Android and Chrome OS, we are taking a big leap forward,” said the Google blog post. “Not only are we addressing many of the existing needs and use cases that people have for their Chromebooks, we are also betting on the millions of developers who are innovating every day to build the next great experience that wasn’t even possible on PC platforms before.”

Incidentally Google has also revealed the winners of the inaugural Google Play Awards, listed below courtesy of TechCrunch. You can see all the nominees here.

Best App: Houzz
Best Early Adopter: World Around Me
Best Families App: Thinkrolls 2
Best Go Global: Pokemon Shuffle Mobile
Best Game: Clash Royale
Most Innovative: NYT VR
Best Use of Material Design: Robinhood
Best Standout Indie: Alphabear
Best Use of Google Play Game Services: Table Tennis Touch
Best Standout Startup: Hopper