One of the best Windows 11 features is that it will support Android apps. But it doesn’t yet. Microsoft hasn’t inked a deal with Google to bring Google Play to Windows. As a result, you can’t install Google Play on Windows 11 officially. You have to go with Amazon and get the retailer’s Appstore to run some of your favorite Android apps on your laptop or desktop. But even then, there’s a big caveat. Microsoft has only made the Amazon Appstore available to users recently, and only Insiders in the US can take advantage of it.
That said, there’s good news ahead for Android users who own Windows machines. Google wants to bring Android games to Windows. And not just Windows 11, but Windows 10 as well.
Windows gets Google’s Android in 2022
That’s exciting news to anyone looking to make the most of their Android-Windows experience. But the problem is that Google only confirmed Google Play support for Windows for games. That means the rest of the Android apps you might want to run on Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs will not be officially available. At least initially.
“Starting in 2022, players will be able to experience their favorite Google Play games on more devices: seamlessly switching between a phone, tablet, Chromebook, and soon, Windows PCs,” Greg Hartrell told The Verge. “This Google built product brings the best of Google Play Games to more laptops and desktops, and we are thrilled to expand our platform for players to enjoy their favorite Android games even more.”
Hartrell is Google’s product director of games on Android and Google Play.
It’s not a game streaming service
Separately, Google spokesperson Alex Garcia-Kummert said the company has built the Windows app without Microsoft’s help.
This Windows version of the Android games app will let gamers resume sessions on PC after playing them on Android or Chrome OS.
From the looks of it, Google is interested in establishing a foothold in the games industry. Having Android games play on every available device except for iPhone, iPad, and Mac would help advance Google’s gaming goals.
The company also runs its own game streaming service, Stadia that turns any device into a console. But the Android games app for Windows will not stream the games. Instead, users will run them locally, which means they’ll have to install them on the Windows 11 or 10 devices.
Google has not revealed when the Windows Android games app will be available to users. The company just teased it during The Game Awards event on Thursday.
If you want to run more than just Android games on Windows 11, you can install Amazon Appstore when it becomes available. Or you can install the unofficial Google Play experience on Windows 11 right away.
