Google reveals plans to bring Android Games to windows in 2022

“Beginning in 2022, users will be able to play their favourite Google Play games on additional devices: easily moving between a phone, tablet, Chromebook, and, soon, Windows PCs,” says Greg Hartrell, Google’s product director of Android and Google Play games.

He added, “With this Google-built solution, more laptops and desktops will have access to the finest of Google Play Games, and we’re excited to expand our platform so that users can play their favourite Android games even more.”

The ability to run Android apps on a PC isn’t new, thanks to emulators like BlueStacks that make it simple. Windows 11 now offers a platform enabling users to download and run Android apps through the Amazon App Store. Google Play is currently working on an entirely separate standalone Games app that does not rely on emulation technology.

Microsoft has just extended the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) test program. It’s included in Windows 11 and allows you to use Android apps on your PC. This feature was previously only available to Windows Insiders in beta channels. It is now available to Dev channel insiders.

Remember that the WSA subsystem in Windows 11 does not support the launch of Android apps. Regardless, ardent users could download and install the Play Store program on their Windows 11 computers. This makes it possible to use Android applications effectively. Support for the Play Store may become official in the future.

The new Google Games software, similar to Apple Arcade, will allow gamers to resume games on their PC from where they left off during their phone session. The software “will not entail game streaming” and will only be available on Windows 10 or higher PCs.

“This will be a Google-distributed native Windows program that will support Windows 10 and higher,” Hartrell reveals. “There will be no game streaming.” Google’s app will not rely on any special Windows 11 integration, and Google will distribute it.

According to Google spokesperson Alex Garcia-Kummert, the firm developed this app independently, which means the company didn’t work with Microsoft, BlueStacks, or anyone else.

For now, Google only teased users about the app during tonight’s Game Awards, with a projected release date of next year. Google has not revealed what technology it uses to mimic Android apps on Windows, but games will run locally rather than streaming from the cloud.

Google announced this after Microsoft began testing Android apps on Windows 11 PCs several months ago. Microsoft has created an Android-underpinning Windows Subsystem to run Android apps from various sources. Microsoft teamed with Amazon to allow Windows users to install Amazon Appstore games and apps natively, although native Google Play compatibility will not be available through Microsoft’s functionality.

Recall that in October of 2021, Microsoft released a preview of Android apps running on Windows 11. It’s a first for Windows, thanks to a collaboration between Microsoft, Amazon and Intel. The sample was made available to Windows Insider Program Beta Channel users in the Microsoft Store, starting with a “curated experience” of around 50 apps. Microsoft claims it will distribute more programs through the Windows Insider Program in the coming months. This is possible via a new Windows Subsystem for Android, a component built on top of Windows 11 that lets users run Amazon Appstore and Android apps on their computers.

Considering Microsoft has solely partnered with Amazon for that feature, there are significantly fewer Android games and apps accessible for Windows 11 customers to install than there might be otherwise. Google, BlueStacks, and others have the opportunity to fill that void.

While Microsoft and Google attempt to bring Android apps and games to Windows, BlueStacks has taken it a step further by bringing Android games to web browsers. BlueStacks X is a free browser extension that allows you to play Android games, and it has been focusing on Android gaming on Windows since it became the primary use case for its main app in 2016.

Although Google is only starting with games, we may expect to see other Android apps on the Windows platform in the near future. Netflix partnered with Google Play to bring some licensed games to their app.

Netflix announced in November 2021 that it had launched Android-compatible mobile games on its platform. Netflix claims that its mobile game collection will be available in several languages supported by the service, with games defaulting to the preferences indicated in your Netflix profile. Members can now play games on multiple mobile devices using the same account.

The company known for its digital streaming service will now allow users to play five mobile games, including Stranger Things: 1984 (BonusXP), Stranger Things 3: The Game (BonusXP), Shooting Hoops (Frosty Pop), Card Blast (Amuzo & Rogue Games), and Teeter Up (Frosty Pop).

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