On January 23 Google has officially announced that, from this point onwards, any new Chromebook released will feature and have access to the Google Play Store for Android applications and content.

Previously at the firm's Google I/O conferences plans were revealed to make Google Play and its content ecosystem available on Chromebook devices and ChromeOS. The move also seems to fit with some of Google's other aspirations to bring Android and Chrome closer together, for example, via the forthcoming hybrid AndromedaOS. Some existing Chromebooks have been updated to support Google Play, but it's a relatively small selection to date, clearly Google is hoping that with every model guaranteed going forward it will provide a really compelling draw to consumers.

"Our users have often told us that they would like to do even more with their Chromebooks — run more apps, use Office files more easily, connect with a variety of apps, and do more when they’re offline," said Google, in a blog post.

"So, we're bringing Google Play (the most popular app store in the world) to Chromebooks. This means you’ll be able to download and use Android apps, so you can make a Skype call, work with Office files and be productive offline — or take a break with games like Minecraft, Hearthstone or Clash of Clans. The same apps that run on phones and tablets can now run on Chromebooks without compromising their speed, simplicity or security. This is good for users and great for developers — in addition to phones and tablets, they will be able to easily bring their apps to laptops. And all this is built on top of Chrome OS, so users will continue to have everything they love in their Chromebooks."

To date, compatible models include the ASUS Chromebook Flip, the Acer Chromebook R 11 and Google's own Chromebook Pixel. Google promises that other current models will also be updated, though obviously not all, but the good news is any brand new Chromebook released from 2017 onward will be compatible. The firm did, however, tease that it has "been working with our partners to launch some great new devices specially designed for Play."

Google hasn't said anything about Google Play on future Chromeboxes or plug-and-play ChromeOS stick devices.