Google is expanding its Play Games for PC to an open beta that lowers Windows system requirements and adds more Android games.
First unveiled last year, Google Play Games for PC allows you to enjoy all of your favorite Android games on a Windows 10 or 11 PC. When it first launched, the beta program was available to only a small handful of regions, and only users with a decently high-powered gaming PC could apply for access.
Today, Google is loosening a few of those restrictions, making Android games more easily playable from your PC. For starters, there is no longer a waitlist to get beta access to Play Games for PC, meaning anyone in the supported regions — Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand — can sign up and play immediately.
When the beta program arrived in January, we were able to confirm at least 12 supported games through the available promotional artwork. Since then, Google says it has expanded Play Games for PC to work with over 50 different Android games that can sync progress between your favorite devices.
Notably, the screenshots included in today’s announcement show that Google has reworked the app’s design since we last saw it. Where Play Games previously used a top bar for navigation, the app now appears to use a navigation rail on the left side, a common trait of newer Material Design apps for desktops and tablets.
Additionally, the Google Play Games for PC beta is lowering its required specs, allowing for more mid-range Windows computers to play Android games. Where you previously needed to have a gaming-ready GPU from Nvidia or AMD, integrated GPUs are now fully supported. The new set of minimum specs, below, should open the door to quite a few more gamers.
Play Games for PC new minimum specs
- OS: Windows 10 (v2004)
- Storage: Solid state drive (SSD) with 10 GB of available storage space
- Memory: 8 GB of RAM
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 or comparable
- Processor: 4 CPU physical cores
- Other:
- Windows admin account
- Hardware virtualization enabled
Header image: Google
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments