>
Windows 11 has made many friends for its ability to run some Android apps (via the Amazon App Store) directly on the desktop without any hassle, and it’s now gotten much better in terms of mobile gaming with an update to Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA).
This is still being tested and the new WSA version (noted by Newwin (opens in new tab)) comes in addition to the new preview build of Windows 11 just released (build 25295, which itself brings a small but useful change we talked about earlier).
With WSA version 2301.40000.4.0, frame rates have been increased by as much as 40% to 50% with both AMD and Intel processors. There is also a significant increase for those using an ARM CPU, albeit a more modest 10% to 20% increase.
This isn’t just about smoother frame rates though, as there are some other major tweaks like Microsoft details in this one blog post (opens in new tab).
That includes a fix for zooming out of apps using the mouse (or touchpad) so it now works properly, and overall reliability improvements (with better audio input latency, to boot). This new version also bundles security updates for Android 13, which is good to see.
Analysis: The proof, of course, is in the pudding
A 50% boost in frame rates – or almost – is huge, of course, and it will make playing Android games a much smoother experience on the Windows 11 desktop. Or at least it should; keep in mind that this version is still in testing so especially at this point things may not work as planned.
We have to take Microsoft’s word that the profits will indeed be that big, but the fact that the company has said 40% to 50% instead of ‘up to 50%’ makes it clear enough that this should represent a huge difference between the board to Android apps on the Windows 11 desktop.
The work to improve overall stability will undoubtedly go a long way in making WSA easier to use, and having the latest security updates is another important step forward.
WSA has long been considered a big selling point for Windows 11, as Windows 10 doesn’t have it – although we’ve recently seen a workaround to get WSA on the latter (although the method is clunky and the results may be unpredictable, so go on continue that front at your own risk).