If you’ve installed Windows 11—the most recent version of Microsoft’s PC operating system—you might be wondering how to Run Android Apps on Windows 11. Although Microsoft promised that you’d be able to do so through the Amazon Appstore for Android, the feature hasn’t been released yet. You can still download and run Android apps and games on your Windows PC until Microsoft adds the feature in a future update.
(Plus, the Amazon Appstore for Android doesn’t have all of the apps that Google Play does, so there’s that.) As a result, even if you wait for the update, some of your favorite apps may not be available.)
We’ll use Android emulators instead of Amazon’s Appstore. Here are a few of the best emulators we found, with the caveat that because Windows 11 is new, all of these emulators will have bugs. Software updates, on the other hand, should bring more stability over time.
Bluestacks
Bluestacks has been around for a long time, and it’s gotten a lot better over time. This emulator allows you to download and install apps from Google Play, which is a huge plus, and many of its best features are geared toward gaming. If you want to play your favorite Android games with a keyboard and mouse, Bluestacks is a good option because it allows you to create macros and scripts that map your favorite actions to keyboard shortcuts, saving you time while gaming.
It also allows you to quickly change your device profile to run apps that are only available on specific devices. Some games, such as PUBG Mobile, are best run in the developer’s own emulators, but Bluestacks works well with most other apps and games.
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GameLoop
GameLoop is owned by Tencent, the Chinese tech giant, and its focus is on game play, as its name suggests. Because Tencent published PUBG Mobile and a slew of other mobile games, GameLoop’s primary goal is to provide you with the best possible gaming experience. It also has an anti-cheat system, which is useful if you want to keep hackers out of your games.
Related: Windows 11 Makes the Microsoft Store Actually Useable
NoxPlayer
NoxPlayer is primarily aimed at gamers, and if you’re having trouble with Bluestacks or GameLoop, give NoxPlayer a try. It has all of the features you’ll need for gaming, including keyboard and mouse support, macro recording, and the ability to run multiple games at the same time.
