Nearly a year after its announcement, it’s time for US players to start gaming
It’s been nearly a year since Google announced Play Games for PC. Although there are plenty of ways to get your favorite mobile games up and running on Windows — including through Windows 11 itself — an official channel remains a big deal. Throughout 2022, we’ve watched as the beta program has expanded around the world, adding new countries and allowing any players to sign up. If you’ve been (not so) patiently waiting in the US, it’s finally time to join in on the fun.
Starting today, Google Play Games for PC is now accessible in open beta in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. Previously, this program was only available in five regions: South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, and Thailand. It’s a big expansion that, frankly, has been a long time coming, but considering some of the changes Google has made over the last eleven months, it’s probably for the best.
Back in August, Google lowered the barrier of entry for anyone looking to get in on the action. At launch, Play Games for PC required some surprisingly powerful specs, including 8GB of RAM, 20GB of free SSD storage, an 8-core CPU, and a “gaming-class” GPU. Thankfully, new players won’t have to deal with those strict conditions, as Google’s reduced minimum specs apply to today’s announcement. Integrated GPUs paired with 4-core CPUs are supported by Play Games, and you’ll only need 10GB of free (and fast) storage space.
Of course, the list of support games continues to look sparse compared to the untold millions of titles on Android. Google tells us that Play Games supports over 85 titles on PC globally, with specific highlights including 1945 Air Force, Blade Idle, Cookie Run: Kingdom, and Evony: The King’s Return. Game progress syncs across devices, so if you’re already playing a supported app on your phone, you can pick back up on Windows without missing a beat.
Players can sign up for the beta right now at the official Play Games website, with no waitlist required to play. While there’s no word on when the service might be ready for a stable launch, today’s news is another big step for the platform.
