Google is expanding its Google Play for PC open beta program to eight more countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. This means that all players in these regions with Windows systems that meet the minimum requirements can access Google Play on a desktop computer.
The company initially launched the program as part of a border test in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia. Later in August, it was expanded to all players in those countries in open beta.
Google added that it has been adding popular titles like 1945 Air Force, Blade Idle, Cookie Run: Kingdom, and Evony: The King’s Return to the line-up in recent months, with more games set to be added in the near future .
In August, Google also restructured the minimum system requirements to run Google Play for PC. Originally, Google needed an eight-core CPU, a “gaming-grade GPU,” and 20GB of available storage. With the reduced requirements, users need a quad-core CPU, an integrated GPU and 10 GB of free storage space on the system.
Minimum system requirements to run Google Play Games on Windows Photo credit: Google
“We are very excited to expand our platform to more markets so players can enjoy their favorite games on Google Play. As we move toward a full release, we will continue to add new features and evaluate developer and player feedback,” said Arjun Dayal, director of Google Play Games, in a blog post.
With this program, Google has made it possible for gamers to use their mouse and keyboard for input. Notably, support for these inputs for Android games on ChromeOS also began testing in September.
In a separate project, Microsoft has been working with Amazon to bring Android apps to Windows 11. In August, the company extended this preview feature to users based in Japan.
On the other hand, despite announcing the closure of its Stadia cloud gaming service, Google is still focused on bringing games to more gamers. In October, it introduced new Chromebooks designed for cloud gaming with hardware manufacturers such as Acer, Asus and Lenovo.