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Cross-platform app that lets you run Android apps and games on your Windows PC

Cross-platform app that lets you run Android apps and games on your Windows PC

Vote: (647 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: BlueStacks

Version: 3.7.44.1625

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(647 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

BlueStacks

3.7.44.1625

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • It's an intuitive Android emulator
  • Attractive and simple front-end
  • Conceals a powerful software engine

Cons

  • Requires a moderately capable computer

Sure to make Android smartphone owners sit up and pay attention, Bluestacks 3 is intended to blur the lines between the Windows computer interface and the mobile user interface used by Android devices. In short, by installing this software, smartphone owners can install Apps on their computers. After the emulator is primed and prepped, the software engine creates a full-screen Android front-end, complete with rows of well-known Apps, as furnished by the super-popular Google Play store.

Mobile smartphone users have gotten used to manipulating tiny icons. On the move, they read the news, check out the latest weather forecasts, and pull up music downloads. When they're finished with an App, though, it's time to play a favorite game. That being said, Android smartphone owners sometimes find it difficult to master mobile games, especially when the outside world interferes. However, what if that gaming experience could be replicated at home? What if Google Play Apps and games could be installed on a desktop computer? That's where Blustacks 3 comes in handy. This program emulates an Android interface and allows Windows owners to install Play Store Apps on their systems. Then, with the cloud-based, virtualization optimized utility loaded, an Android smartphone devotee gets access to a whole new way of interacting with those mobile applications and games. Since the emulated smartphone interface is loaded on a Windows computer, other ways of manipulating the programs suddenly become available. A mouse or a keyboard can replace a finger touch or sweep of a thumb. A game, perhaps one that was too hard to control with two shaky fingers, becomes easier to take charge of now, with the controls assigned to a group of keyboard shortcuts. That's what Bluestacks 3 can do for Android owners; the program creates a richer, deeper interactive experience.

So the emulator front-end creates a full-screen window. That's good, especially if the person running the software is a little clumsy, has bigger than average fingers, or there's an issue with the user's vision. A 17-inch monitor, plus a keyboard and mouse, make it far easier to play tricky games. Also, with a computer hooked up to a nice set of HiFi speakers, too, music and video Apps will look and sound better if they're emulated on a Windows computer. There are, of course, the occasional glitches to correct when running an emulator, but the Bluestacks 3 software designers really have done a fine job of minimizing such operator experience woes. Indeed, the software installation script runs smoothly, so the utility feels as if it's intended for casual users, not computer tech-wizards. Fast and full of performance-tuned power when the software is up and running, the Android emulator runs most Play Store Apps and games without a hitch. Still, new OS iterations do come around once or twice a year, and game developers do like to tweak their products. No worries, the Blustacks 3 emulator engine is always under development, so it'll be patched as newer games are released.

Stepping back a little from the App and game windows, let's take a trip around the front-end of the utility. An App Center menu entry is located close to the Account System section. This means users can enter and configure their Google account credentials and fine-tune App settings. If a certain game or mobile App does misbehave in some manner, these two panels can be used to fix the problem. Interestingly, to create a more immersive and fun gaming experience, the emulator does incorporate a Chat feature. Gamers do tend to like "throwing shade" when they're deep inside a really good game, after all. Last among the most important front-end menu entries, there's the option to map keys. Emulator Keymappers let gamers assign favorite keyboard shortcuts. Just as one handy example of this feature, a gamer could map a torpedo control launcher to the letter T, then instinctively launch that weapon when under attack by an online enemy. Just because the game is now emulated on a large computer monitor, that's no reason to lose track of a game-winning control.

Anyway, Bluestacks 3 is rarely used as an App emulator. Sure, it's nice to have the weather or news pop up on a larger screen, but that's a chore any old web browser can perform. No, this emulator is intended as a high-performance mobile gaming interface. As such, it delivers a lag-free user experience and a powerful keyboard remapper, plus all the extras that'll allow a keen or casual gamer to win a hard-fought mobile gaming contest. Be aware, though, a fairly powerful computer is required to get the best out of Bluestacks 3.

Pros

  • It's an intuitive Android emulator
  • Attractive and simple front-end
  • Conceals a powerful software engine

Cons

  • Requires a moderately capable computer