After years of depending on Android emulators like BlueStacks, PC gamers finally have a non-hacky way of enjoying some of the best Android games for desktops and Chromebooks with Google Play Games for PC. Although the beta rollout is fast gathering pace, Google is only catching on to popular emulators with massive updates bringing everything the gamer community could ask for — new tiles, support for more PC hardware, new features, and expanding geographic availability.
Play Games for PC was introduced as a limited beta in March last year, and has since added several games to its catalog, including five titles we liked in our hands-on testing. Unlike most Android emulators, Play Games for PC syncs your gameplay across PC, Android, and Chrome OS, so you can switch devices even mid-gameplay. The latest feature-laden beta channel update brings this gaming experience to 60 new regions of the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Europe, taking the total to 120+ regions.
Google has also worked with reputable developers to grow the catalog of playable titles on PC. Although the availability of games varies by market, popular titles like Garena Free Fire MAX are reaching new markets — this update brings the battle royale shooter to Malaysia and Taiwan. The game will reach even more markets in the coming months.
The latest beta also draws inspiration from Android emulators, adding support for keyboard remapping. With this, gamers can set up custom key bindings for specific in-game actions, just like they do on a PC game. However, keyboard remapping is only available on a handful of titles at the moment.
The Play Games for PC beta is not very resource intensive, but it can bring Android games to underpowered PCs too. With the latest update, Google has lengthened the list of supported hardware as well, so more players can get in on the action. This update is rolling out now, and should be available to beta testers soon.
