Bridge Between Smartphones and PC: Google Play Games Explained

Key Takeaways

• Google Play Games on PC is an officially supported PC emulator for Android mobile games available on Google Play, currently in beta and supporting around 100 popular games.
• It allows you to transfer your game progress from your phone to PC, offering a larger screen and higher-fidelity graphics.
• The emulator has some limitations, such as the transition from touch to keyboard and mouse controls being awkward, but it excels for shooters like Knives Out or Free Fire MAX.

Another Google gaming project, but on PC? Google is coming out with an Android emulator for PC focused on gaming called Google Play Games on PC. Here’s what you need to know about it and how you can join the beta.

What Is Google Play Games on PC?

Image Credit: Jhet Borja

Google Play Games on PC is an officially supported PC emulator for Android mobile games available on Google Play. As of November 2023, it’s still in beta and only supports around 100 of the most popular games.

The Google Play Games name used to refer to the mobile app that connects your game progress across all devices your Google account is connected to. However, Google Play Games will now refer to the PC emulator moving forward.

With Google Play Games, you’re able to move from your phone to PC while keeping your progress on connected games. It uses your PC’s more powerful hardware, so you can play your favorite Android games on a larger screen and with higher-fidelity graphics.

How to Get Google Play Games on PC

You can download the beta on the Google Play Games on PC website . Google has expanded the number of regions the beta is available in, so there’s a good chance it’ll be available to you.

Installation is just like any Windows app, except for the added step of needing to turn on system virtualization. You’ll need to go into your BIOS and turn it on from there. Check out how to enable Hyper-V for Windows 10 or Windows 11 for a full tutorial.

You can now download games like Mobile Legends, Asphalt 9, Free Fire MAX, Genshin Impact, and many more. However, it doesn’t have PUBG, Call of Duty: Mobile, Wild Rift, and many more popular games yet. There are only about 100 games in the beta, but more will be added in the future.

Image Credit: Jhet Borja

We suggest making space on your C: drive, as you can’t change the download location in this beta version. Even if you install Google Play Games on a different drive, the downloads will still go into AppData/Local/Google/Play Games/userdata_xxxxx.xxx/avd/userdata.img.

That file is a virtual 512GB drive for the emulator, and you can’t really change that right now.

Should You Play Your Mobile Games on Google Play Games on PC?

Image Credit: Jhet Borja

Since this is still an emulator, you shouldn’t expect the transition from touch to keyboard and mouse to be the smoothest. Mobile games weren’t made with a keyboard and mouse in mind, so the experience can sometimes be awkward.

While the performance on PC is great if you’ve got a good CPU, the controls are the bigger issue.

Image Credit: Jhet Borja

MOBAs like Mobile Legends aren’t ideal, as you can’t play them like DOTA or League of Legends on PC. You’ll have to use WASD to move your character around instead of just right-clicking on the map, leaving your fingers scrambling for movement and activating skills at the same time.

However, it’s excellent for shooters like Knives Out or Free Fire MAX. It probably even gives you an edge, since aiming with a mouse is superior to a touch screen. If you do want to play PUBG or Call of Duty: Mobile, however, there are plenty of other lightweight Android emulators you can use that don’t have the limitations of Google Play Games.

Play Your Favorite Android Games With an Officially Supported Emulator

Google Play Games is still in beta, and we wouldn’t suggest using it as your main emulator if you really want to play games. Especially because it’ll take up space on your C: drive very quickly if you download many games. There are plenty of other options for you out there, but an officially supported emulator is exciting, and we can’t wait to see what it’ll turn into in the future.

That is, if Google doesn’t abandon this project like all its other gaming projects in the past, of course.