Google is Bringing Play Store Games to Windows

Last night, Google revealed that it is bringing Play Store-based Android games to Windows in 2022.

“Google Play has helped billions of people find and play their favorite games across multiple platforms, including on mobile, tablets, and ChromeOS,” Google Play product director Greg Hartrell said. “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. 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.”

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

I received that quote from Google late yesterday, but it came sans details about how this would work; Google did tell me, however, that it is doing this on its own and has not partnered with Microsoft in any way. But now we have a few more details: it will include a native Windows app that will play some of the Android-based games that are today available via the Google Play Store. They will run locally, and won’t be streamed. And this system will involve some form of continuation feature where you can begin playing on any supported device and then continue on another, as with Xbox Play Anywhere.

Google’s Windows app won’t ship until an unspecified time next year.

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 12 comments

  • martinusv2

    Premium Member
    10 December, 2021 - 10:06 am

    <p>Google was seeing something like Bluestacks getting increasingly popular? Maybe? </p>

  • crunchyfrog

    10 December, 2021 - 10:32 am

    <p>Perhaps this is a play to expand Stadia adoption since this seems to be game focused.</p>

  • harmjr

    Premium Member
    10 December, 2021 - 10:59 am

    <p>And this may be why such lack luster progress on the Amazon/Microsoft Android Apps front. </p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      10 December, 2021 - 11:38 am

      <p>The article says Microsoft wasn’t involved in this.</p>

  • Bart

    Premium Member
    10 December, 2021 - 11:19 am

    <p>Can’t Microsoft just force google to use WSL; as a big F-you because MS can?</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      10 December, 2021 - 11:38 am

      <p>Why would they want to do that? It’s better for Microsoft if as much software as possible runs on Windows.</p>

      • Bart

        Premium Member
        10 December, 2021 - 5:36 pm

        <p>Is this to get a foot hold in gaming on Windows? Maybe MS should protect their platform like google does with Android?</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    10 December, 2021 - 11:39 am

    <p>Sounds like a marketing ploy on Google’s part to get more developers to write games for Android.</p>

    • pungkuss

      10 December, 2021 - 3:31 pm

      <p>Do you mean triple A games? Because the playstore has more games than anywhere else. </p><p><br></p><p>I personally believe this is an Epic thing. Epic has a plan to turn the Epic store into a one-stop shop for games and are suing Apple and Google because of all of the restrictions on mobile. Google is now making a play for that one-stop shop as well. If Android becomes the place on mobile with a bunch of other appstores then its beneficial for Google to remove Epic’s advantage. If its trivial put your PC games in the playstore alongside a mobile version, where you can cut deals with Google on the cut that they take, this might be a good thing. Lets say that you promise to release the Triple A version on the playstore as a timed exclusive and on the mobile version Google only takes a 10% vig, that might be attractive to developers. Everyone else assumes the store will only support android games, but the big picture might be PC games as well.</p>

  • mike2thel73

    10 December, 2021 - 3:39 pm

    <p>This would be great for windows but that annoying same old question comes back everytime we hear about another platform supporting the play store… developers, developers, developers. Google didn’t do itself any favors when it shut down its own development studio. Windows in slot of ways is like Android and has a lot more users combines than apples iOS &amp; MacOS combined but if people on windows &amp; Android are considered to be less likely to spend what will the incentive be on developers to update games already created.</p><p><br></p><p>One of the reasons I left Android is because the iOS version performed better with less issues.</p><p><br></p><p>Are developers going to make games to take advantage of windows or are they going to port them from apple or even Android?</p><p><br></p><p>I have been looking at Chromebooks for my own needs the last few years but the issues above prevent me from committing on a purchase. Without the playstore I find the Chromebook to be a waste of money.</p><p><br></p><p>With windows it’s the opposite.</p>

    • pungkuss

      10 December, 2021 - 6:09 pm

      <p>I am confused! These apps are already on the playstore! What developers are you talking about. This a win-win for everyone. Windows users get a lot more mobile apps than the used to have, and Google is getting the experience of porting the playstore to any platform it wants. If Google also want Triple A games, those are already on the PC, they just need to get the devs to put them in the playstore the same way they put them in Steam or the Epic store. All the Android games are already in the playstore. I think this is a good move by Google. </p>

  • fuller1754

    11 December, 2021 - 5:02 pm

    <p>Comments seem to be wrangling about who’s behind this and for what ulterior reason. Is it Google, Microsoft, Epic? And what’s the motive? For me, who cares? Bringing Play Store games to the Microsoft store is going to be really cool.</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC