TL;DR
- Xiaomi has detailed a new tool called WinPlay which lets you locally run PC games on an Android tablet.
- The app also supports games from the Steam and GOG stores.
- The tool is currently available as part of an internal beta on the Xiaomi Pad 6s Pro tablet.
Winlator has become one of the most popular gaming tools on Android, allowing users to play PC games on their phones and tablets. Now, Xiaomi has hopped aboard this trend with a tool of its own called WinPlay.
Xiaomi detailed WinPlay on Weibo today, saying that this program allows Android tablet users to play Windows games locally. In other words, it isn’t merely a case of streaming the game over an internet connection.
This tool uses “three-layer virtualization technology” to run Windows games in a virtual environment, and it can be found in the AI Treasure Box menu. Xiaomi noted in a FAQ that you can even install games from both the Steam and GOG storefronts. The app also supports Xbox gamepads (or controllers that support Xinput) and a mouse and keyboard.
Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station shared a video showing the tool in action (seen at the top of the page). The clip reveals the ability to add PC game icons to the Android home screen while also showing Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Tomb Raider running on a tablet.
There are some caveats to WinPlay, though. For one, it’s currently restricted to China as part of an internal beta program for the Xiaomi Pad 6s Pro, with no plans to officially launch the tool in the “short term.” Xiaomi’s FAQ also notes that WinPlay isn’t optimized for non-game apps just yet, with the company discouraging users from running these Windows apps via the tool.
Nevertheless, we’re glad to see a major OEM step in to offer its own solution for running PC games on Android. So we hope to see this tool eventually launch in global markets.
