Google Play Games for PC Beta Launches in India, Brings Select Android Games to Windows PCs

Running Google Play Games beta on Windows requires players to enable hardware virtualisation (from BIOS or Windows 11 settings).

Written by Rahul Chettiyar, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 14 July 2023 13:38 IST

Google Play Games for PC Beta Launches in India, Brings Select Android Games to Windows PCs

Photo Credit: Google

Anyone with a Google account, within the eligible regions, can download the app

Highlights

Google Play Games PC beta offers keyboard and mouse support
Progress will be saved across all devices using the same Google account
In India, Google Play Games PC can be accessed in English and Hindi

Google Play Games for PC beta has finally launched in India, bringing with it a suite of Android mobile games to the platform. But unlike emulation — by way of apps like BlueStacks — this is a native app where the company has worked with respective game developers to optimise every title for PC, so it doesn't consume too many resources. The client is now available in beta and lets you browse and play games with a keyboard and mouse, in addition to delivering seamless syncing across devices — as long as you use the same Google account. Bear in mind that once the app is installed, you'll have to restart your computer and head over to the BIOS to turn on hardware virtualisation. Windows 11 users, however, may head to ‘Windows features' settings to enable it.

With this update, Google Play Games beta for PC has expanded to over 60 new regions worldwide — over 120 total — with Indians being able to access the platform in English and Hindi. “We are excited to partner with developers globally to bring their incredible games to larger screens for players worldwide,” Arjun Dayal, Director of Product for Google Play Games stated in a blog post. “Since our launch last year, we have grown our Google Play Games catalogue by hundreds of games, all optimised for larger screens and with improved controls.” While certainly not the entire catalogue, players will be able to access popular titles from Indian developers such as Ludo King and Hitwicket Games, alongside some global entries like Eversoul, Evony: The King's Return, and Lords Mobile. Currently, over 100 titles are available across regions where the beta is accessible, with more being added periodically.

Anyone with a Google account — located in eligible regions — can participate in the beta, with the system requirements demanding that you install the app on SSD storage with at least 10GB of free space. The company says it has included features like keyboard remapping to let gamers customise controls.

Google Play Games beta for PC minimum system requirements

OS: Windows 10 (v2004)
Processor (CPU): any CPU with 4 physical cores (some games might require Intel processors)
Graphics (GPU): Intel UHD Graphics 630 or higher
RAM: 8GB

Google Play Games beta for PC recommended system requirements

OS: Windows 10 (v2004)
Processor (CPU): any CPU with 8 logical cores (some games might require Intel processors)
Graphics (GPU): “Gaming-class GPU” starting from Nvidia GeForce MX450
RAM: 8GB

Google Play Games for PC was first announced at The Game Awards 2021, being able to seamlessly switch between a phone, tablet, Chromebook, and Windows computers without losing save progress on games. As mentioned before, this isn't game streaming and you'll have to install the titles locally. As the app moves towards a full release, Google says it will continue to add new features, while taking developer and player feedback into account to improve the app.

What are the most exciting titles that gamers can look forward to in 2023? We discuss some of our favourites on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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