What you need to know
- Google Play Games beta is now available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore.
- Previously, the beta version of the service was available for testing in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Australia.
- The service allows people to play Android games on their PC and sync progress to their mobile devices.
Google just took a major step forward toward delivering Android games on Windows PCs. The company announced earlier this week that Google Play Games beta on PC is now available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. Previously, it was only available in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Australia.
Google Play Games allows people to play Android games on their Windows PCs. It's entirely separate from Microsoft's efforts to have Android apps and games run on Windows. Microsoft has an Android Subsystem for Windows that allows people to use thousands of Android apps on PCs. Notably, Microsoft worked alongside Amazon to bring the Amazon Appstore to Windows.
Google, in contrast, is bringing Android games to Windows through its own app. The catalog of titles has expanded since testing began as well, and now includes 1945 Air Force, Blade Idle, Cookie Run: Kingdom, and Evony: The King’s Return. At the moment, there are 85 games available to beta testers.
When users play through Google Play Games, progress syncs across multiple devices, including phones.
"Our broader goal continues to be meeting players where they are and giving them access to their games on as many devices as possible," said Google. "Players participating in the beta have expressed excitement at being able to seamlessly play their favorite games across their phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and PCs."
You can sign up for the beta and download the Google Play Games app through the service's website.
When we polled people asking if they'd play Google Play Games on their Windows PC, over 70% said yes.
