Thanks to the new Windows 11, there will be new ways for us to run Android apps and games on PC. Google does not want to be left behind in this market, and the company has announced, during The Game Awards gala, that it intends to get involved as well. It will do so during 2022 with a platform similar to Play Games, which will be supported by the new system that Microsoft has launched in 2021.
A native Windows platform
Greg Hartrell, product director at Google, was in charge of giving some clues about what this incorporation will mean. The technology giant plans to develop a sort of Google Play Games specialized for PC. From this new platform, users will enjoy their favorite Android games on both a laptop and a desktop computer.
Another essential aspect of Google’s new development is that the new platform will run as a native Windows app and will be supported by previous versions. Thanks to this, millions of Windows 10 users will also enjoy their favorite Android apps and games without limitation.
Forget streaming Android games on your PC!
After the Stadia failure, Google has opted for local installation on the device’s hard disk. Leaving behind the cloud download, the company will now follow in the footsteps of dozens of emulators, like GameLoop, that already allow us to play Android games on our PC. The best part is that, foreseeably, we will be able to start our games on our smartphone or tablet and continue them on our computer.
At this point, some might question whether Google’s arrival to Android PC gaming is as revolutionary as it pretends to be. It is worth noting that, for years now, Uptodown’s users have been able to download from our website any Android game or app, later to enjoy it on their Windows PC through any emulator. Likewise, Amazon released its app store a few weeks ago to distribute apps in a Windows environment.
Google is already looking for its seat at the table from which this new pie will be shared. The U.S. company wants the biggest slice, but it will be interesting to see how all this evolves in an environment that is more hostile to them than Android. Microsoft has initiated the sharing. It would certainly be captivating to see if the user had the final say in choosing their favorite.
Uptodown on your desktop
From Uptodown, we’ve taken several steps to bring the mobile experience to your desktop. Since 2019, we distribute a customized version of the Android emulator Nox Player that integrates our app store, and in 2020 we did the same with LD Player, not to mention the distribution agreement reached with GameLoop, Tencent’s official emulator. This means we already cover most of the current quality alternatives for playing mobile video games on Windows and Mac.
It is still to be confirmed if it will be possible to sideload Android apps on PC —this would mean that the native integration of our store in the Android operating system would only be a matter of time.
