Emulators and Google Play Games offer Windows users a path to Android apps

Microsoft had planned to make Android apps compatible with Windows 11 through a feature called the Windows Subsystem for Android. A subsystem for Linux eventually shipped, but Android app support was dropped in 2024, Engadget reported. Windows 11's Phone Link can wirelessly cast an Android phone's apps or screen to a desktop, but those apps continue running on the phone rather than on the PC.

Emulators remain the most capable option, according to the guide. BlueStacks and MuMuPlayer are described as two of the most widely used. Engadget said BlueStacks is a legitimate application but carries so many advertisements that they clutter nearly every corner of the interface. MuMuPlayer, the tool the guide's author uses, is free; it shows more ads than it did a year ago, though they appear only on a few loading screens. The emulator is developed by NetEase, the Chinese publisher of the PC and console title Marvel Rivals and of mobile games including Destiny: Rising, and is positioned as a PC portal for NetEase games. It is a full Android emulator that recently received an update to Android 15, and users create virtual phones and then run apps from the Play Store or elsewhere, as they would on a handset.

Google Play Games for PC takes a different approach, translating Android games to the PC through a lightweight virtual machine. It works only with a select group of titles from developers who have opted in. Engadget lists Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans and the mobile adaptation of Disco Elysium among the available games, while noting that Destiny: Rising is conspicuously absent. The guide adds that virtually any computer built in the past decade can run an Android emulator.

Gaming is the most obvious use case. The guide's author turned to Destiny: Rising after Bungie ended development on Destiny 2 this summer and exhausted that game's content. On a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, Destiny: Rising is capped at 60 frames per second once the graphics settings are raised, even though the tablet may be able to handle more, according to the account. Running the Android version through MuMuPlayer on a PC with an Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super produced noticeably better graphics, along with mouse and keyboard support.

Non-gaming uses also exist. Engadget notes that many Android apps have no dedicated PC edition or offer more features on mobile than on desktop, citing Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and apps such as the smart thermostat and lock controller a landlord may require. Developers use emulation to test apps, and older, lower-end computers unable to run professional creative software may manage the slimmer Android versions of those programs if their reduced functionality is acceptable. The guide also mentions emulators for older consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Game Boy, but says the author avoided those because of the legally questionable ground they can occupy.