Difference between revisions of "Windows Subsystem for Android"
From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
m (removed comparisons with Virtualbox in prominent places, and removed that Type 2 hypervisors aren't accessible when using Hyper-V (that's outdated following the release of the Windows Hypervisor Platform API)) |
m (removed Type 1 mention of Hyper-V (factually correct, but irrelevant). The "offers near bare-metal CPU performance" was also removed due to being questionable as both Hyper-V and Virtualbox (which it was mentioned in relation to originally) use hardware assisted virtualization tech) |
||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
'''Key points''' | '''Key points''' | ||
| − | |||
{{++}} Offer much better CPU compatibility by using latest compatibility layer called "Intel Bridge". | {{++}} Offer much better CPU compatibility by using latest compatibility layer called "Intel Bridge". | ||
{{++}} Based on Android 11 (API level 30) source code (Insider versions are based on Android 12.1 API Level 32). | {{++}} Based on Android 11 (API level 30) source code (Insider versions are based on Android 12.1 API Level 32). | ||
Revision as of 01:44, 22 September 2022
This page is a stub: it lacks content and/or basic article components. You can help to expand this page
by adding an image or additional information.
Although this product has been released, it remains under active development - information may change frequently and could be outdated or irrelevant.
 |
|
| Developers | |
|---|---|
| Microsoft | |
| Release dates | |
| Windows | October 21, 2021 |
Key points
- Offer much better CPU compatibility by using latest compatibility layer called "Intel Bridge".
- Based on Android 11 (API level 30) source code (Insider versions are based on Android 12.1 API Level 32).
- Highest image and audio quality possible.
- No Vulkan at the moment.
- Closed-source.
- No keymapper, must rely on game support to properly controlling games.
- Having several GPU rendering issues.
- Heavy RAM consumption and very slow booting speed.
General information
- Introducing Android™ Apps on Windows 11 to Windows Insiders
- Windows Subsystem for Android™ support page
- Windows Subsystem for Android™ developer documentation
- Store link
Availability
| Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store |  |
Only available in the US. Download the emulator on Microsoft Store also includes Amazon Appstore | |
Essential improvements
Application Compatibility Tracker
Application Compatibility can be tracked at Github
Easy app sideload
EasySideload-WSA makes sideload APKs easier for WSA.
Easy file copy to WSA
EasyPush-WSA makes file copy easier for WSA, files goes to downloads folder on Android when done.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
| System | Location |
|---|---|
| Windows |
Save game data location
| System | Location |
|---|---|
| Windows |
Video
| Graphics feature | State | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Widescreen resolution | May cause issues with certain older games that aren't adapting latest Android codes. | ||
| Multi-monitor | |||
| Ultra-widescreen | |||
| 4K Ultra HD | VM does run at 4K but not all games support that. | ||
| Field of view (FOV) | |||
| Windowed | |||
| Borderless fullscreen windowed | See the glossary page for potential workarounds. | ||
| Anisotropic filtering (AF) | Depending on games | ||
| Anti-aliasing (AA) | Depending on games | ||
| Vertical sync (Vsync) | Android always forced on VSync | ||
| 60 FPS and 120+ FPS | Although the VM does support 120 FPS, game must have 120 or unlocked FPS option to run at 120 FPS or more. | ||
| High dynamic range display (HDR) | See the glossary page for potential alternatives. | ||
Input
| Keyboard and mouse, touch | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Remapping | Only support for games that have proper input remap | |
| Mouse acceleration | ||
| Mouse sensitivity | ||
| Mouse input in menus | Although users can use mouse to interact with game menu, hover tooltips and contexts are rarely implemented for games. | |
| Mouse Y-axis inversion | ||
| Touchscreen optimised | Built-in touch support | |
| Controller | ||
| Controller support |
| Controller types |
|---|
Audio
| Audio feature | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Separate volume controls | Separate volume controls depending on game support | |
| Surround sound | ||
| Subtitles | Subtitles depending on game support | |
| Closed captions | Closed captions depending on game support | |
| Mute on focus lost |
Localizations
| Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | ||||
| Italian | ||||
| Norwegian |
Issues fixed
Apps are unable to connect to the internet
| Turn off "Advanced Network" in the subsystem settings[1] |
|---|
|
Issues unresolved
Apps can't detect Google Play Services if the latter is sideloaded
| [2] |
|---|
App functions that check for if screenlock is enabled, don't work
| [3] |
|---|
Other information
API
| Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Direct3D | 11 | |
| OpenGL | ES 3.0 |
| Executable | 32-bit | 64-bit | ARM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Not all app support native x86 or x64 especially when it comes from Google Play (Rare older games may support x86 library only), but ARM apps can be loaded in the x64 Subsystem version.[4] |
System requirements
- Requires Intel VT-x/AMD-V to use Hyper-V.
- Booting WSA alone will require at least 2GB of free Physical RAM (Standby memory do count as free Physical RAM) and does not run on Pagefile. In theory it's impossible to run on system with 4GB RAM or less even with Pagefile enabled. Avoid running unnecessary background applications on systems with less than 16GB RAM.
| Windows | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| Operating system (OS) | 11 | |
| Processor (CPU) | Same as Windows 11 | |
| System memory (RAM) | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) | SSD, size depending on games installed. | |
| Video card (GPU) | Same as Windows 11 | |
References
- ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 22 September 2022
- ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 22 September 2022
- ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 22 September 2022
- ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 22 September 2022