Google Play games on Windows 10/11 coming in 2022, will have continuity

It seems Windows is set to become the next hub for all kinds of gaming. At The Game Awards, Google came up on the stage to announce its plans for gaming on Windows. The company promises to bring the Android gaming experience to Windows PCs via the Google Play Games app. Google hasn't shared in-depth details yet but the feature wants to bring popular gaming titles from Android to Windows.

Unlike the partnership between Amazon App Store and Microsoft, Google's app will be a standalone app. Games will run natively on your Windows PC but the app will the portal to access these games. And before you get confused, this isn't cloud gaming – these games will be installed locally on your PC and you can play them normally.

Google Play games on Windows PCs

"Starting in 2022, players will be able to experience their favourite Google Play games on more devices: seamlessly switching between a phone, tablet, Chromebook, and soon, Windows PCs. This Google built product brings the best of Google Play Games to more laptops and desktops, and we are thrilled to expand our platform for players to enjoy their favorite Android games even more,” says Greg Hartrell, Google’s product director of games on Android and Google Play, in a statement to The Verge.

Hartrell reaffirms that the app is a stand lone app that has been solely built by Google. Google will distribute the app on its own and there's no special integration with Windows.

One of the features highlighted by Google is the continuity feature, wherein players will be able to start a game on their Android device and continue it on their Windows PC. This is something that Microsoft already does with its Xbox ecosystem of gaming on both the consoles and PCs.

At the moment, Google is only bringing games to Windows but keeps mum on the account of Android apps. Do note that in the future versions of Windows 11, you will be able to run popular versions of Android apps via the Amazon App Store. Additionally, you can use third-party emulator, like Bluestacks, to run any game or app on your Windows PC.