Windows 11 2022 Update increases official support for Android apps and games to 20,000

Already distributed via Windows Update, the Windows 11 2022 Update substantially improves the speed and compatibility of Android apps.

Officially still in the testing stage, support for installing and using Android apps on Windows 11 laptops and PCs is already available to users in several European countries and around the world, with Microsoft planning to expand coverage to 31 regions in the coming weeks. So if you live in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK you can access the selection of Android apps available so far.

Called the Android Subsystem, this is essentially an adaptation of the Android kernel integrated directly with the operating system, allowing Android apps to be used without noticeable performance penalties. Incidentally, Microsoft engineers have also been working hard optimizing hardware acceleration support, increasing speed in Android games by 2-3 times. Thus, any PC equipped with a decent video card and fast enough processor should be able to run games intended for mobile phones, substituting the touch interface with gampad or keyboard commands (if the game developer has included support for them).

Also on the list of notable improvements are hardware decoding of video content and DRM support, which means that streaming service apps (e.g. Netflix) will (theoretically) be able to be installed on PCs for watching your favorite movies and shows.

At the same time, Microsoft also notes that it will make Android apps much easier to discover by displaying them when searches are initiated on the Microsoft Store.