At the Game Awards, Google made a surprise revelation about bringing Android gaming to Windows PCs next year with a desktop Play Games software that would be available.
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On Android, Play Games is most commonly recognized as the pop-up window that appears when you open a game. It is also available as a mobile application that displays various achievements and functions as a game directory. For Android game creators, the name “Play Games” serves as an umbrella word for the numerous services (e.g., player accounts, storing and syncing data, social, achievements/leaderboards, testing, and store distribution) that Google provides to them.
Overall, the business estimates that there are 2.5 billion monthly active users gaming with Android apps across all platforms, including phones, tablets, and Chrome OS, with game consumption on the latter form factor increasing threefold year over year.
Google is now attempting to introduce its multi-screen gaming platform to Windows-based personal computers. This expansion is positioned as a continuation of the company’s mission and as something that the Android developer community has shown a need for.
A native “Google Play Games” Windows program will be developed for the purpose of delivering the service. The content, which will include both emulated Android titles and games that run natively on Windows, will be distributed directly by Google in addition to the app. There will be seamless game experiences that will allow players to switch between mobile and desktop platforms without losing their progress.
Behind the scenes, the Google Play team was hard at work creating something that was distinct from what Microsoft had planned for Windows 11. In truth, Google’s app will be available on Windows 10 and newer operating systems — the exact specifications will be announced at a later point. A new green triangular icon with half a controller has been created to represent the app/service as part of this change.
In addition to mobile, tablets, and ChromeOS, Google Play has assisted billions of users in discovering and playing their favorite games across a variety of devices.
“After the year 2022, players will be able to play their favorite Google Play games on a wider range of devices, including phones, tablets, Chromebook laptops, and, Microsoft Windows PCs. Our excitement in expanding our platform for players to enjoy their favorite Android games even further is heightened by the introduction of this Google-built solution, which extends the best of Google Play Games to a greater number of laptops and desktops. We’ll have more information to offer in the near future!” Greg Hartrell, Product Director for Games for Android and Google Play, shared his thoughts.
Play Games for Windows will be available in the second half of next year, with further information to follow “soon.”
Google has not yet released any specifics about this upcoming experience, but it has laid out the first part of a grand vision that is consistent with the internal “Games Future” presentation that was made public in August as part of the Apple and Epic Games lawsuit against the company.
This memo outlined Google’s cross-platform ambitions, which were made official at The Game Awards just a few days ago. It also offers a probable image of the basic desktop application, which appears to be more tablet-like in appearance.
At a high level, Google wants users to be able to “play on any screen,” including the Android, Windows, and macOS platforms, as well as all form factors such as phones, tablets, desktops, smart displays, and televisions. The company may also develop a “low-cost” Bluetooth controller to accomplish this goal.
