C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The latest version of Google Play Games on PC lets you remap game controls to your keyboard.
- You can add a button that lets you tap the screen with a key or add a joystick that moves with WASD key presses.
- This lets you play some Android games without needing a mouse.
Mobile games are absurdly popular in large part because of how convenient they are to play, but some gamers don’t want to exclusively play them on a smartphone screen. Fortunately, it’s possible to play Android games on your PC via a multitude of emulators such as Google’s Play Games on PC. Android games available through Google Play Games for PC are all optimized for keyboard and mouse input. Sometimes, gamers don’t have immediate access to a mouse, or they may simply find it more convenient to play with only a keyboard. With the latest update to Play Games on PC, a game control remapping feature has been added that makes it possible to play Android games with only a keyboard.
The January 2025 update for Google Play Games on PC added a new remap controls tool to the menu accessible via Shift + Tab during gameplay. The remap controls tool lets you add invisible buttons that simulate screen taps as well as joysticks that move in the four cardinal directions when keys are pressed. The first joystick defaults to WASD, and the second to the arrow keys, but you can remap these and any additional joysticks to any four keys.
You can freely move, resize, and label all tap buttons and joysticks to create a fully customized gaming experience. Your control mappings are saved between sessions. To transfer them to another computer or share them with a friend, you can use the import/export tool in the game controls menu.
According to Google’s changelog, this tool is only available for “supported games.” It’s not clear which games are supported, but it’s likely that any game that currently requires a mouse will work with this tool. The changelog also says that “more controls are planned for future releases,” so we can look forward to having more options than just a tap button and a joystick. Perhaps Google will look at the existing crop of hardware remap apps or at phones like the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro as inspiration on what to add in future updates.
In addition to the remap controls tool, the January 2025 update also added the ability to “change the refresh rate (FPS) for individual games.” This option is available through visual settings in the menu that appears through pressing Shift + Tab. I don’t know which games this works in, so I haven’t been able to take any screenshots of the new feature.
January 2025 Update
- Lets you play supported games with the keyboard instead of the mouse. You can map virtual buttons or virtual joystick controls in games to specific keys with this release. To open these controls, press Shift + Tab in a game, and select Remap controls. You can even share them with your friends through the export and import options. More controls are planned for future releases.
- Lets you change the refresh rate (FPS) for individual games. To open this option, press Shift + Tab when you’re in a game, and then select Visual settings.
Do you play Android games on your PC? If so, do you use Google Play Games on PC? Let us know in the comments if you think these new features are useful!
