Google Play Games on PC Gets Major Upgrades, More Games, New Play Points Bonuses

Google made several major announcements today that involve Google Play Games, both on PC and mobile. Not only are we getting general availability of Google Play Games on PC, Google is planning to bring PC-level games to mobile, they’ll give users more controls and multi-account access, and Google Play Points will provide exclusive rewards to PC gamers.

There is a lot happening with Google Play Games, so let’s lay it all out.

• Google Play Games on PC hits general availability: At some point this year, Google will fully launch Play Games on PC, which I’m going to assume means it’ll leave the limited beta it is currently in. As a part of that move, Google is making all Android mobile games available on PC by default, unless a developer decides to opt-out. In other words, the game library is about to massively expand.
  • AMD support, more PC partners: In addition to the wider availability of the platform, Google is making the full games catalog for PC accessible on more devices, including AMD laptops and desktops. Google also plans to partner with PC OEMs to make Google Play Games accessible from within the start menu on newer devices coming later this year.
  • More controls, customizations: When playing from a PC, users will soon find multi-account access, multi-instance support, a new game sidebar for adjustments, and custom control mappings.
  • More PC-only games: Google must be seeing some success with PC gaming through Google Play, as they plan to release more PC-only games, like “Game of Thrones: Kingsroad,” “Sonic Rumble,” and “ODIN: VALHALLA RISING” later this year.
  • Games listed as “Optimized” or “Playable”: To help you better find the best-performing games on PC, you’ll find labels like “Optimized” or “Playable” to tell you if the game meets all of Google’s quality standards or meets the minimum requirements.
  • Google Play Points on PC: On PC, your Google Play Points balance will be easier to track, plus they are giving bonuses like 10x points boosters to get you earning even more freebies, discounts, etc.
  • Better graphics: Google also has big plans to improve graphics using Vulkan. You’ll want to read more about that here.
• More PC games arrive on mobile: If you ever wanted to play PC games on your mobile device, Google is going to give you more options. The plan is to expand with games like “DREDGE” and “TABS Mobile” this month. Later this year, “Disco Elysium” will join the party too. These are PC games that have been optimized for mobile experiences.

All of that out of the way, I’m curious how many of you have taking Google Play Games on PC for a spin? I’ve dabbled in it from time to time, but I’m struggling to find games that really get me excited. Seeing this wave of news has me at least wanting to dive back in for a bit.

// Google | Developers Blog

Read the original post: Google Play Games on PC Gets Major Upgrades, More Games, New Play Points Bonuses