There is so much available on the Google Play Store, but it might be hectic to test each and every game that you’re interested in. This also takes up quite a lot of storage space as HD Android games are greater in size. The good news is that you can now easily play or test Android games on your PC without using your Android device. Whether you want to test a game before you install it onto your device to save up memory or if you have a lower-end Android device and want to try out some HD games, you can easily play Android games on PC computers. Here are the methods that you can use to play Android games on your PC.
Method 1: BlueStacks
BlueStacks is currently the most reliable and easiest way to play Android games on PC computers. It lets you download games and apps directly from 3 different app stores on your PC. BlueStacks also has an Android app, which lets you push your current installed Android games and apps to your PC. The application also supports third party gamepad controllers for playing games.
Step 1
Firstly, download the BlueStacks application for your Windows PC using this link. This will work on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. For Mac, you can use this link. Once downloaded, you simply need to install the application on your PC like any another app. This might take a while as BlueStacks will also download some additional components before the installation is complete.
Step 2
Once you are done installing the application, simply open the app on your PC. After you launch BlueStacks, you will get a homescreen similar to the one in the image below. This moves you another step closer to play Android games on PC computers.
Step 3
Now, you’ll need to set up your Google account on BlueStacks so that you can directly download, install and play Android games on PC computers. For this, click on App Sync. Now, you can either make a new account or sign in with your current Google account in order to access the Google Play Store.
Step 4
Next, install the BlueStacks Cloud Connect app on your Android device. You can download the app using the Google Play Button below.
You will also need to enter your email address and phone number on the BlueStacks application on your PC. This will get you a pin number, which you can use to connect your Android device with BlueStacks and sync all the apps installed on your Android device to your PC. This is an optional step for users who want to push the apps installed on their Android device to their PC. If you don’t have an Android device or you don’t want the apps installed on your device, you can skip this step when trying to play Android games on PC computers .
Step 5
Step 6
After you’re done installing, the app/game will be available for you to run on the BlueStacks home screen. You can launch the game by clicking on the icon of the app.
Step 7
If you’re using a Windows 8 touchscreen laptop/tablet, then you will be able to play the game like you would on your Android device. However, if you’re using any other OS without a touchscreen, you can use your keyboard or a mouse to play. For zooming in, you can use the “CTRL” plus “+” combination and for zooming out, you can using the “CTRL” plus “-” combination. Congrats, you can now play Android games on PC computers using Bluestacks.
Method 2: GenyMotion
This is another great way to play Android games on PC computers. Instead of running games directly on your PC, this app is basically an Android emulator which lets you emulate a virtual Android device. The application supports Windows 7, XP and Vista. It also supports the Mac OS and Linux Ubuntu.
Step 1
Firstly, register for Genymotion using this link. The process is fairly straight forward and it will take a couple of minutes. The reason you need to register is because you’ll need to login with your account details in order to download and use the Genymotion app on your PC.
Step 2
Next, download Genymotion for your Windows or Mac PC through this link. You’ll need to login before you can actually download the application.
Step 3
You will also need VirtualBox installed on your PC. If you’re using Windows, then you can easily install VirtualBox directly using the Genymotion installer that you downloaded in step 2. For Mac, you can use this link to download and install VirtualBox.
Step 4
Once the Genymotion installer is downloaded on your PC, simply install the Genymotion application through the installer like you would install any other app on your PC.
Step 5
After installing, launch the Genymotion app through its icon on your desktop. This will start the application, taking you to the home screen.
Step 6
As soon as Genymotion starts, you’ll get a popup saying Do you want to add a new device? Click on Yes to indicate that you want to play Android games on PC computers.
Step 7
Now, you will be taken to the device creation screen. You will need to click on the Connect button in the lower right hand corner.
Step 8
Login in with your username and password that you used to create your Genymotion account earlier.
Step 9
Once you’re logged in, you will need to select the device that you want to emulate. You will get a list of various Android devices and tablets such as Nexus 7, Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. Select the device that you want to emulate and click Next. This will start downloading your selected virtual Android device. It might take a while as the file could be over 100 MB.
Step 10
Once the download is complete, your virtual device is ready to use. Simply select the virtual device that you downloaded and click on the Play icon. This will start your virtual device. You can now do anything on it as you would on an Android device since you’ll have a fully functional virtual Android device on your PC.
Step 11
In order to play games, you can simply open the Google Play Store and download games directly on the virtual device. Once the games are installed, you can launch and play the games like you would on an actual Android device. You can also use apps and games that require root access as the virtual device comes pre-rooted. Congrats, you can now play Android games on PC computers with this emulator.
Method 3: Android SDK
This is another way to emulate an Android device rather than directly play Android games on PC computers. The process is relatively complicated compared to the previous methods but you get the same result. The emulator lets you create a virtual Android device and play games/run apps on it.
Step 1
Firstly, download the Android SDK package for your PC using this link. You’ll need to install the 32-bit or 64-bit version depending on your PC. Once downloaded, extract the zip file and open the SDK Manager app file.
Step 2
After launcing the Android SDK Manager, select the Android OS that you want to use. If you want ICS, simply check on Android 4.0. Also, you’ll need to tick on Android SDK Tools and Android SDK-platform tools. Next, click on Install Packages. This should install the tools and the Android OS that you selected. This is one of the most essential steps to play Android games on PC computers.
Step 3
Once these are downloaded and installed, Android SDK Manager’s work is done and you can close the application.
Step 4
Now, open AVD Manager from the Android SDK folder that you downloaded and extracted on your PC earlier and click on New. This will let you create your virtual Android device to move you closer to play Android games on PC computers.
Step 5
Select all the relevant details including name, CPU and hardware. Then click on Create AVD. Now, your virtual Android device is ready to use. You’re getting closer to play Android games on PC computers!
Step 6
Now, your virtual device should appear in AVD Manager. Simply select the device that you created and click on Start.
Step 7
Next, click on the Launch button.
Step 8
Your Android device will now boot on your PC. This should take a couple of minutes, especially if booting for the first time on the PC. Once the virtual device is fully booted, you can do anything on it like you would on a real Android device.
Step 9
In order to download and install games, you can open the Google Play Store and download the games you want to play. After downloading and installing the games, you can simply play them like you would on an actual Android device. Have fun when you play Android games on PC computers.
Conclusion
The Android OS has millions of apps and games that a lot of people might want to play, even the ones without an Android device. With these methods, you can easily play Android games on PC computers without using an Android device. Whether you are a developer and want to test an app/game or you don’t own an Android device and still want to see what games on Android are like, these methods will let you play games directly on your PC. Make sure that you follow all the instructions correctly and feel free to shoot any questions below!
