Google made an unexpected appearance during the 2021 Game Awards, with the announcement that Google Play Games will be coming to Windows in 2022.

As one of the biggest gaming ecosystems, bringing Google Play Games to PCs, laptops and tablets will enable play without emulation.

Previously, Microsoft had integrated emulation capabilities into its platform (such as Windows Insider being able to test Amazon Appstore games), but Google’s plan to bring Google Play Games to Windows doesn’t require its emulation technology.

In fact, Google has built the app independent of Windows and will reportedly be native. Greg Hartrell, Google’s product director of games on Android and Google Play, told The Verge, "It will not involve game streaming.”

On the move

One key benefit of this move is that players will have the ability to switch between Android phones, Chromebooks and Windows PCs with a shared save file. This will enable users to play on their phone when they’re out and continue the same game on their desktop when home, for example.

Whilst little else was revealed about Google Play Games on Windows, more details are expected in the future ahead of its planned 2022 release.

Pokémon Unite was recently selected as the best game in Google Play's Best of 2021 awards, with its cross-play between mobile and Nintendo Switch representing 'what's next' in game development.