- The latest version of Google Play Games on PC lets you remap game controls to your keyboard.
- You can add a button that lets you tap the screen with a key or add a joystick that moves with WASD key presses.
- This lets you play some Android games without needing a mouse.
Mobile games are absurdly popular in large part because of how convenient they are to play, but some gamers don’t want to exclusively play them on a smartphone screen. Fortunately, it’s possible to play Android games on your PC via a multitude of emulators such as Google’s Play Games on PC. Android games available through Google Play Games for PC are all optimized for keyboard and mouse input. Sometimes, gamers don’t have immediate access to a mouse, or they may simply find it more convenient to play with only a keyboard. With the latest update to Play Games on PC, a game control remapping feature has been added that makes it possible to play Android games with only a keyboard.
The January 2025 update for Google Play Games on PC added a new remap controls tool to the menu accessible via Shift + Tab during gameplay. The remap controls tool lets you add invisible buttons that simulate screen taps as well as joysticks that move in the four cardinal directions when keys are pressed. The first joystick defaults to WASD, and the second to the arrow keys, but you can remap these and any additional joysticks to any four keys.