TL;DR
- Microsoft has released an updated Windows Subsystem for Android to beta testers.
- This update brings a variety of input-related options for Android games on PC.
Microsoft officially brought Android support to Windows with the launch of Windows 11 last year, although the list of available apps is pretty small. Nevertheless, the company has been improving things since then, and this latest update should make playing Android games on Windows 11 a more pleasant experience.
Microsoft announced that version 2206.40000.15.0 of the Windows Subsystem for Android is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the US right now (h/t: XDA-Developers). This update brings some welcome input-related additions to Android apps on PC.
More specifically, in-game joysticks can now be mapped to WASD keys, games now support gamepads, and aiming/sliding in games can be controlled with arrow keys. These are all pretty welcome additions — particularly the two former features — as it’s not unheard of for people to play Android games on PC in the first place.
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The update also brings several other Android-related additions and tweaks, such as improvements to scrolling/networking/graphics and new security updates.
Hopefully, Microsoft officially brings the Windows Subsystem for Android to markets outside the US, while also expanding the library of supported apps. But Microsoft’s solution isn’t the only option in town if you want Android games on your PC. Aside from third-party solutions like Bluestacks, Google also launched Google Play Games on PC earlier this year in a few markets. So there’s certainly no shortage of options on the horizon.
