Google is gearing up to launch its Android gaming platform on PC, with the service's beta testing phase already well underway in select territories. The service - Google Play Games - is effectively a port of Google's dedicated gaming client on Android, with it getting expanded to support a full game translation layer for Windows.
The limited beta of Google Play Games for PC is being tested exclusively in Asian territories. Specifically, users from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea can apply for access, though it is currently unknown whether Google has an unlimited number of users in mind, or if the company is curating how many people can try the beta version of the Android PC gaming client.
Google Play Games for PC is supposed to allow Windows PC users to seamlessly play native Android and Chrome OS games on Microsoft's Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. In theory, this should ensure that users can switch between their Android and PC devices on the fly when it comes to gaming, with progression and purchases being unified between all platforms.
Though everyone can "express interest" in the application's beta at this point in time, it is unclear if and when Google might be planning to expand the beta testing phase to other territories. There's precious little official information from Google available on how, exactly, the service will work. Now that some users finally have access to it, however, first impressions should be coming in.
It's important to mention that the PC version of Google Play Games will not be a streaming app. Instead, this is going to be a native translation layer for Android games to run on Windows PCs, and it's presumed to be a part of Google's response to Microsoft coming up with its own native Windows 11 Android app store. With neither of the two services currently up and running, it's hard to say which might come out on top.
While the promise of Android game availability on PC sounds great on paper, there's no telling how native Android titles will compete with full-fledged desktop gaming experiences. The interaction of the PC and Android ecosystems should certainly prove interesting in 2022 at the very least. In a way, Google's Stadia gaming service is already tackling AAA titles, and it could conceivably combine with Play Games to provide a competitive gaming service on both PC and Android.
Google Play Games for PC is now in its beta testing period, with the service possibly coming out in 2022.
Source: Google Android Developer Website