How to play computer games on Android. How to play computer games on an Android mobile device Run computer games on Android

Created specifically taking into account the features of the popular platform, it’s simply off the charts. And although many developers, taking into account the desire of users, produce products created in a retro style, everyone knows perfectly well that before, ice cream was sweeter and the leaves on the trees were greener.

  1. It is possible to play on smartphones, but it is preferable to use a tablet.
  2. Some devices may not display full screen. What we do: having opened the game with two mouse clicks, we quickly and continuously “tap” on an empty space on the desktop until the game starts.

What programs are needed to run computer games on Android?

DosBox Turbo– an optimized port for OS Android of the latest version of the DOSBox v0.74 emulator. To run you will need at least 50 MB of memory and access to the SDCARD (like a DOS emulator).

Some characteristic features:

  • Accelerated launch of retro DOS games.
  • Full support for sound, keyboard, mouse, analog joystick emulation.
  • Support any type of Android devices, optical trackpad and DPAD input, etc.
  • Two zoom modes.
  • Availability of a highly optimized port of the latest version of DosBox
  • Other.

Using “Splashtop” as an example, we looked at how and with what mechanisms you can play PC games on an Android tablet; now, using DosBox Turbo as an example, let’s see what needs to be done to launch the game.

Let's start with the physical controller. The fact is that if you don’t have one, and, in addition, you don’t use a hardware keyboard, then to control you need to download a free gamepad (preferably from Fishstix - the developer of DosBox). After that, open the options of your gadget, find the “language & input” item in the list, and click on “Gamepad” to activate it.

  • Now download the game on the PC (in our case, let it be “Grand Theft Auto” or GTA I) and unpack it to drive “C” (folder c:\gta1 appears)
  • Install and launch DOSBox on your gadget;
  • To start the game, type the commands: mount c c:\gta1 (the folder with the unpacked game with: gtados is indicated here).
  • We configure the sound – “Configure sound details”
  • Open the main menu, select “Run GTA”, then “Run 3DFX GTA”.
  • The game will launch by default with a resolution of 512x384; to change the resolution, press the F11 button right in the game.
  • If you want to play in full screen format, and not in a window, in the OpenGLid.ini file (DOSBox folder) we change InitFullscreen=0 on InitFullScreen=1

Result (with a resolution of 800×600):

The DosBox Turbo application is paid, but the price is quite affordable. You can, of course, use the budget version (there is that too), but the most trump options are missing in it.

Having installed the client on your computer and “Remoutr” on your gadget, we create an account and log into it from both applications, because the program can work both over Wi-Fi and over the Internet. Having seen that the PC was able to determine the mobile application, click on it to open a panel in which the newly installed games are displayed, select the one you like and, by “tapping” on it, start the process:

What else can you say about the application:

  • Good performance.
  • Ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously.
  • Accelerometer support.
  • Setting up controls.
  • Other.

We talked about how to play computer games on an Android tablet or smartphone. We hope that our review will help you enjoy the addictive gameplay, in anticipation of which you had to drop everything to rush headlong to the computer screen.

Many PC users would like to play games that are available on the Android platform. However, few people know what exactly is needed for this. But the amount of necessary software has been reduced to a minimum, and all the user needs to learn how to play Android games on a Windows computer (PC) is an emulator of the Android operating system.


Recently, most applications of this type were created for game developers, which means that using them will be very problematic for the average user, and they also contain a lot of absolutely unnecessary functions. We recommend using the BlueStacks application, the main task of which is to simply open Android applications without making any changes to the game itself. Below we will describe in more detail how to use the BlueStacks program to play any game from the Play Market on your computer.

How to play Android games on a Windows computer (PC)

Step 1. Download BlueStacks to play Android games on your computer

First, you need to install an emulator application on your computer. You can download it on most Internet resources, however, we recommend that you find it on the official developer’s website, where you can download BlueStacks to your computer safely and for free.


After running the emulator installation file, you will need to follow simple and clear instructions, which will be entirely in Russian.



Don’t forget to check all the checkboxes on the “App Store Access” and “Application Communications” items, since with their help the emulator will launch games not only from apk files pre-downloaded to your device, but will also be able to independently configure communication with the Play Market 'om, downloading programs and games directly from there.



Stage 2. Set up BlueStacks to play Android games on your computer

The next step is to set up the BlueStacks application. It will be easy to understand how to play Android games on a computer (PC) using this program. The process itself will take place in a fully automatic mode, which will allow even an inexperienced user to independently configure the emulator. To begin, launch any of the games that will be located on the main screen of the program. After the first launch, the emulator application will independently configure it, in which you will not need to participate.


Next, the setup will require certain actions from you, the first of which will be to activate support for the online store from where games will be downloaded. The user will have to create a new Google profile or connect their existing one. All of your in-game saves will be stored in your profile, so make sure your new Google profile is fully functional in advance.


Next, the process consists of successive clicks on the “Continue” and “Next” buttons, since the remaining settings were preset by the emulator developers and all that is required of you is simply to agree with the settings that were specified in advance.

Stage 3. Installing BlueStacks to run Android games on your computer

After the BlueStacks setup process, the user can start installing games. There are several possible options for installing the application on your new device. The first method is simpler and more understandable.


Using the standard Play Market store, you quickly download and automatically install any games. If you would like to purchase the paid version, you will need to pay for the purchase through your Google Account.

Another way to play games on an android computer (PC)

If you want to play most of the cool games on our site for free, which are most often paid in the Play Market, you will need to use the second method.


By specifying the path to the game file, as well as additionally installing the cache (additional game files) in the root system, which is located in the folder with the emulator, you can install any game using the apk file that you download from our website.

After installation, you can launch the downloaded application by going to the Android tab and you can play Android games on your computer (PC). On the first lines there will be new games that can be launched.

To play Android games on a computer, you need emulators - special programs that allow you to deploy a mobile OS environment on a PC. If you plan to constantly use the system, then it would be reasonable to install Android on your computer.

Android Emulators

The easiest way to install Android games on your PC is to use emulators. The most famous program that allows you to download and run Android games on a PC is the Bluestacks emulator. It is aimed at entertaining the user, installing applications, and is needed to run games, while most other emulators are more suitable for Android software developers.

You can download the program for free on the official website http://www.bluestacks.com/ru. The installation distribution weighs more than 300 MB.

  1. Run the downloaded installer and accept the terms of the agreement.
  2. Select a folder to install the program.
  3. Without changing the installation parameters, click “Install”.

We launch the downloaded and installed program to play. To figure out how to play Android games, you need to complete the initial setup of Bluestacks. Set the necessary parameters for the emulator:


After completing the initial setup, you will be taken to the Play Market. We figured out how to install it, now let's see how to play Android games on a computer:

  1. Find the desired application in the Play Market, click “Install”.
  2. Wait for the installation to complete and launch the game on the “Android” tab in the emulator.

To find and install other apps, use the built-in search on the Android tab. Enter the name of the game program, and then click on the “Search on Play Market” button.

There are other emulators that help answer the question of how to play games on Android OS on your PC:

  • MEmu;
  • Nox App Player;
  • Leapdroid;
  • Koplayer;
  • Droid4X.

These programs offer different functionality, but they all have one thing in common - these emulators are created so that the question of how to play computer games on Android does not remain insoluble for the user.

Installing Android on a computer

If you are interested not only in the question of how to play Android games through a computer, but also in the very possibility of using Android on computers, then try installing this system as a second one, next to Windows. To solve this problem, you will need an Android x86 image recorded on a flash drive using the Rufus program.

When booting from the installation drive, you will have the opportunity to watch Android on your computer without installation. The system offers the same functions as on any mobile device.

Instead of pure Android x86, you can use Remix OS - a special build of Android for installation on a PC. But if you only have a question about how to launch games, then all these difficulties with installing a full-fledged system will be unnecessary. For gaming applications, the capabilities of the emulators listed above are quite sufficient.

PC toys for Android

Users may also have the opposite desire - to play PC games on Android. Special software will also help you play computer games on Android. There are two ways to figure out how to run PC games:

  1. Broadcast gameplay from PC to Android.
  2. Run PC games on your mobile device.

The first method requires a stable one with good speed and a computer at hand. So first, let's see how to run PC games on a mobile device. You can do this using the ExaGear Strategies or ExaGear RPG application. To run the program you need an ARM v7 processor and Android 4 or higher. How to install the game:

  1. Download and install ExaGear Strategies or ExaGear RPG on your mobile device.
  2. Connect your phone to your PC. Move the unpacked distribution of the toy to the ExaGear directory, which will be in the root of the phone/tablet memory.
  3. Disconnect your phone and launch the application. The program will automatically find the installer executable file. All you have to do is install the toy and start the installation process.

Launched in this way can be not only popular strategies and RPGs, but also well-known projects in other genres: Fallout, Heroes of Might and Magic, Pilot Brothers, Unreal Tournament, Quake, Postal, etc. We are talking about old toys with low system requirements. If you want to run a modern game, you will have to stream the gameplay from your computer to the screen of the device, which will actually become a controller.

Have you ever wanted to play old PC games on your Android? With a little effort and following the instructions, you can immerse yourself in history and play these classic games on your phone or tablet, and this short guide is designed to help you understand how to set up your gadget using the DosBox Turbo application. We ask for your attention and so, let's go:

  • Step #1

First, you need to use the Google Play search to find and buy the DosBox Turbo application from the developer Fishstix. The program costs $4.99, but this price is justified. You can also use a free alternative such as DosBox from HYStudio, but you will not be able to use some advanced options and additional features.

  • Step #2

If you don't have a physical controller and aren't using a device with a hardware keyboard or buttons (like the Nvidia Shield), then you'll need to download the Gamepad. This free app from the makers of DosBox Turbo lets you turn your old QWERTY keyboard into a joystick. In the future it will be used to control games.

  • Step #3

First you need to configure everything. Open the options of your Android device and find “language & input” in the list. Click on "Gamepad" to activate it.

  • Step #4

Now let's download the game. The setup steps will be different for each individual toy, so you'll have to use your wits to get your favorite old PC game to work on Android. As an example, we will take the paid version of the legendary game Doom, which can be downloaded from the id company website. As for other games, you can download them from the Good Old Games portal, or even rip files from the original CD or Floppy.

  • Step #5

Now we need a file manager (the standard free File Manager from the Google Play store will do). Using it, open the “Download” folder on your Android device and find the compressed Doom file. Tap on it and click “extract”. Select “extract to new directory” and name this folder “Doom”, or whatever you like. All these manipulations can be performed on a PC, if it is more convenient for you. Just connect your Android device and copy all the necessary files.

  • Step #6

Launch DosBox Turbo. If you are using the application for the first time, it should give you the following message: “Drive C is mounted as local directory /storage/emulated/0/Download.” If everything is written exactly like this, then it’s good. Tap on the keyboard activation button to see the keys. If you don’t see them, then turn your device into “portrait mode” or swipe from left to right to open a menu where you can activate the keyboard.

  • Step #7

Type "cd doom" to open the folder we just created. Now type “install.bat” to start the installation. A little tip for those who are new to DOS - if you enter "dir/w", you will get a complete list of folders and files, which will help you specify the path correctly.

  • Step #8

The Doom installation process should now begin. The program will ask you what drive you want to install on (enter “C”), if you can install the game in the “DOOMS” folder (enter “Y”), and if you can create a folder with that name (type “Y” again). Once complete, press Enter several times to select the default control and sound settings.

  • Step #9

Click "save parameters" and launch Doom. Everything should be great, except for the fact that the controls won't work. What to do? Go to options in the top right corner and click on “input method”. Select "GamePad" from the list to make your keyboard a controller.

  • Step #10

Almost done! Click the "settings" button at the top and select "button/controller maps". You will see that the controller is connected, but you need to configure the meaning of the buttons yourself. Tap on “add button mapping” and select the very first option. Press the "A" button on the gamepad at the bottom of the screen to assign a value to this button. Then, select Left Control from the dropdown list. Now, this button will be used to shoot in Doom. But if you're running another game, you'll need different buttons. It is recommended to find a detailed tutorial on the Internet that describes the controls for your game.

  • Step #11

If you are using a hardware keyboard or controller, make sure that the "select input mode" section of the settings is set to "physical joystick", and then set the button values ​​as described above (just press the physical buttons to activate them). If your game requires a mouse, select "TouchScreen Mouse" in "Input Settings". There are enough options here to achieve optimal mouse performance.

  • Step #12

Everything should now work. Doom will run and run on your Android. But there is one catch... The fact is that before each new start of the game you will have to repeat some procedures again. You will need to re-enter the folder (type “cd dooms”) and launch the application (“doom”). Of course, you can live with this, but let’s still correct this shortcoming. Download the free DosBox Manager application, all from the same developer Fishstix.

  • Step #13

Launch the program. Click the small options button at the bottom of the screen to see a menu and select "add". For the profile name, select the name of the game, in our case Doom.

  • Step #14

You will now see a settings menu similar to DoxBox Turbo. Here you can configure the button values ​​and any other options needed specifically for Doom. When everything is ready, select “DosBox Settings” and tap on “Autoexec”. Here you can configure what DosBox should do automatically when you tap on the newly created profile. You need Doom to run. Tap after "C:", go to a new line, type "cd dooms", go to the next line and type "doom". Click “okay” and return to the DosBox Manager home page. Tap on your Doom profile and, if everything was done correctly, the game will launch.

  • Step #15

And finally, why not decorate your DosBox Manager? Find any background image you like on the Internet and save it to your device. Then, click on the profile and select "change icon". Find the saved image and use it as a graphical interface for the application. It would look very good, for example, to have an impromptu bookshelf on which your old games are stored.

This question is increasingly of interest to many people for the simple reason that over the past few years, there has been a huge leap in the evolution of Android games.

The reason for this, of course, was the increase in the capabilities of Android devices. Today, devices with average technical characteristics allow you to play quite impressive games with decent graphics - let alone flagships.

Android games are quite popular and varied. That is why they already occupy a significant place in the gaming industry, on a par with computer ones. Online games are especially popular. Many of them are entire universes where the hero can literally live his life in adventures and wanderings. Due to this, users would prefer to be able to play them the traditional way - using their PC or laptop. This is exactly what will be discussed below. You will find out a lot of useful information and also learn a lot. So, let's go!

How to use Android on your PC

It’s worth starting with exactly how Android will be installed on your PC: it will be a full-fledged operating system, along with Windows and Linux, or it will be launched on the basis of one of these operating systems - as a virtual machine or an emulator. The OS installation method will be divided into these categories:

  1. A complete operating system.
  2. Android OS virtual machine.
  3. Android emulator.

Android OS: install on PC

What's cool about this particular method? Only because all the resources of your PC will be used specifically for this operating system. That is, in fact, you can use Android like Windows.

1. In order to install Android, you will first, of course, need an installation image - Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
2. Now you need to make an installation disk from this image. Since 2016 is already ending in our yard, I don’t want to talk about disks at all - we will make a bootable flash drive. I will use the UltraISO program. Download and install it.

  • open the program;
  • in the directory located in the lower left corner, find the desired directory (for me this is the folder Dowload), click on it twice. Its contents will be visible on the right. Find the image and double-click on it. Higher it will open;

now hover over the section and select Create a hard disk image;

select the one you need flash drive and press Write down.

Note: The flash drive must be empty (formatted).

3. Now it’s the turn to install the recorded image. Insert the USB flash drive into your PC and reboot it. During startup (when you see the logo), hold down the button to go to the BIOS boot menu. There, select the drive where the Android installation is stored.

Note:
1) You can call the boot menu using the F8, F12 or Delete buttons (depending on the brand of your PC); when you turn it on, you should see quickly flashing instructions indicating what exactly you need to press.
2) The Boot menu can be disabled in the BIOS. Therefore, you need to enter the BIOS and enable it. See exactly how below:

4. From this point the installation process begins. First, you need to indicate that you want to install Android on your PC. Select the appropriate item.

5. Now select the partition where the system will be installed (one of the existing hard drives).

6. If the selected disk contains only the Android system, then select the ext2 or ext3 file system. If there is already an operating system on this disk, then Android needs to be installed “nearby”. Therefore, indicate that the file system has no format.

7. If your computer has several operating systems, be sure to install GRUB - when launched, this utility will help you select the desired system.

8. Next, the installation will begin. After that, start the system.

9. That's it, your PC has a full-fledged Android OS, and you can use the corresponding applications and play any games. To do this, carry out the usual settings (time zone, date, etc.). And enter the Play Market, where you can download everything you need.


Android Virtual Machine

The android virtual machine is an emulation of the operation of the android system using the resources of your PC based on the main operating system. We will now look at exactly how to create a machine and run emulation.

1.We will work in the VirtualBOX environment. You can download the installation program from this link. Install it.
2. Now you need the image that is linked in the previous paragraph. If you have already downloaded it, then proceed to the next step.
3. Open VB and create a new virtual machine:

  • click the button Create;

indicate the name and type of OS ( Linux and Oracle respectively);

The amount of memory for the VM must be no less 2 GB;

if you are not a software developer, then the file type of the new disk is not important - select the first one;

complete the process by pressing Create.

4. Now launch the newly created virtual machine.

She will ask you to specify the image from which the Android OS will be installed. This is where you have to choose the above image.

5. The installation begins, similar to that described above, except that you still need to configure or create a partition for the future system. So, when the function window appears Choose Partition:

  • select item Create/Modify partition;

create a new partition in it ( new);

check the box Bootable. Click to save Write, Further - yes.

After this, everything happens as in the full installation step (read above).

Android emulators

The program is an emulator of the Android operating system; it is a ready-made application that only needs to be installed. Emulators can be oriented: that is, it can have a version specifically for games (with other parts cut out); or for communication: a version where all sorts of messengers are installed. Below, I will describe several of the most popular, convenient and functional emulators.

BlueStacks is the best emulator for games

Since this article primarily concerns Android games, I will start with an emulator focused on them - BlueStacks.

Why is he the best? It's simple - the fewer functions, the higher the performance. That is, the absence of complete emulation of all processes of a regular Android system makes the program much easier and faster.

On the main page, you can immediately see the currently popular games. You can download them. In addition, there is a complete catalog of games with search. In fact, these are games from the Play Market, only in a different interface. That's why log into your Google account right away.
Download BlueStacks from the official website.

Full-fledged Nox App Player emulator

This is by far the best and most functional emulator. In comparison with all the ones I described in this article, it is somewhat ahead in terms of performance and functionality.
After installation, you will receive a full-fledged Android with standard software and Play Market. In addition, it has a convenient functional panel. With its help, you can work with apk files, use all the capabilities of GPS, create screenshots, etc.

To conclude this brief review, I will say that if you want to play your favorite game without lags and glitches, then Nox App Player is exactly what you need. Download from the official website.

Koplayer is the best in gaming control emulation

To be honest, Koplayer is not much different from, for example, Nox App Player (I mean productivity characteristics).

But, along with this, it also allows you to regulate the allocation of your PC’s RAM.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the convenient and functional device for assigning keys to certain functions in a game or application. The same applies to gestures. After all, this is very important - you can customize the controls in the game to suit you.

Droid4X Emulator

This emulator differs from all others in one rather interesting function - the ability to bind the coordinates of certain points on the screen to any of the keys on the keyboard. In my opinion, this is very convenient, considering that almost all games on Android OS are oriented towards touch devices.
It is also worth noting that Droid4X completely emulates the entire system. It has everything your phone has.

You can download it from the official website.

Genymotion - several versions at once

And lastly in this list of the best Android OS emulators, I will describe Genymotion, which allows you to choose the version of the OS to run.

Why the last one? Yes, I agree - it has everything. But, in my opinion, it is more aimed at developers than at ordinary users. With its help, it is convenient to test developed applications and games on different versions of the Android OS.

If you still want this emulator, then you can download it. Register, download (necessarily using the first link), install.

Notes:

1. A special version of VirtualBox will be installed along with Genymotion (you don’t need to run it). Therefore, if you had another version on your PC, delete it.
2. If there is an error mounting an image, run Genymotion as an administrator.

Brief summary

As you probably already understood, installing Android on a PC is not very difficult. The main thing is to know what exactly needs to be done. Now you know this and, I hope, you will be able to figure it out. Good luck!