You can play Android games on almost any device via BlueStacks X

 BlueStacks is one of the most popular Android emulators on Windows, Linux, and (recently) macOS. However, users have to download an app and set the emulator up, something that can be overwhelming for those that simply want to play Android games on a non-Android device. Enter: BlueStacks X.

Released in beta today, BlueStacks X is a cloud-based service that allows users to play Android games on virtually any system that runs a modern web browser. That includes the standard Windows PCs and MacBooks as well as Linux machines, iOS devices, and Android phones (if you want to do that for some reason).

BlueStacks X relies on cloud servers from now.gg, a company focused on cloud gaming. Using now.gg’s tech in the backend, BlueStacks X is usable on essentially any modern browser, no installation needed. There’s even a Discord bot that allows gamers to launch supported Android games through a Discord server. It’s unclear at this time if BlueStacks X can be used for multiplayer games.

There are some drawbacks. The service currently supports a mere 14 games, and the titles on offer are perhaps less attractive to most gamers. There are some recognizable names like the infamous RAID: Shadow Legends. The team behind BlueStacks X says more games will roll out weekly.

In my testing, the experience ranged from usable to outright bad. On my desktop, gameplay in Looney Tunes World of Mayhem was fairly smooth with the occasional hiccup. In Safari on my iPhone 8 (running iOS 14), the game stuttered so bad it was unplayable. For the record, my internet speeds average about 20 Mbps. A reasonably fast internet connection is mandatory for now.gg’s cloud gaming tech to work properly.

The idea is an interesting one. Gamers with iPhones could potentially tap into the Android gaming market with little hassle, opening their world to games unavailable on the App Store (console emulators come to mind). That’s a possibility far removed from today, but BlueStacks X shows some promise. At the very least, it’s a step in an excellent direction for both cloud-based and Android gaming.

What do you think of BlueStacks X? Let us know in the comments.

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