Today, I’m excited to share a unique experience with you—something a lot of gamers are curious about. Ever wondered if you could play your favorite AAA PC games on Android? Well, I gave it a shot using a Windows emulator called Winlator, and while the journey had its ups and downs, the results were still pretty amazing.
Let me give you a breakdown of what I did, what games I played, and the performance I got out of my setup.
My Setup: Redmi Note 10 Pro
First, let’s talk about the device I used. I played these games on my Redmi Note 10 Pro, which has 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 732G processor. On paper, these specs aren’t the best for high-end gaming, but it’s still a pretty capable phone for general usage. The real problem, though, is that my device has been hit hard by recent poor updates, which have caused it to operate at about 50% of its usual performance. So, my phone isn’t running as efficiently as it used to, and that definitely impacted my gaming experience. But I still wanted to push the limits of what this phone could do, so I downloaded Winlator, a Windows emulator for Android, and decided to see how well it could handle AAA games.
The Games I Played
To put this setup to the test, I chose three demanding AAA games:
- Far Cry 3 – known for its open-world gameplay and rich graphics.
- Tomb Raider – with its action-packed sequences and intense visuals.
- GTA IV – a classic Rockstar game with a huge, interactive city and complex physics.
How to Install Winlator and Games?
You can simply Winlator using the button below and to get the game you will get options further down on scrolling.
Far Cry 3: A Test of Patience 😬
I started with Far Cry 3, and right off the bat, I knew this was going to be a tough one. Far Cry 3 is an open-world game with detailed environments, fast-paced combat, and heavy graphics, so I wasn’t expecting miracles, especially considering the state of my phone.
The game launched, but the performance was far from smooth. During the cutscenes, I was getting anywhere between 6-20 FPS. The lag was noticeable, but I thought maybe once the cutscenes were over, it would improve. However, once I got into the actual gameplay, the frame rate dropped even further, fluctuating between 6-10 FPS. This made it almost impossible to play the game fluidly.
Adding to that, I was using a screen recorder to capture the gameplay, which put additional strain on my phone’s performance. The recorder itself took up resources, and while it didn’t completely wreck the experience, it did push the FPS a little lower than what I might’ve gotten without recording. But even without recording, it was clear that Far Cry 3 was too demanding for my phone to handle comfortably.
Tomb Raider: A Bit Smoother, But Still Not Ideal 📉
Next, I moved on to Tomb Raider. Given that Tomb Raider also has a lot of heavy graphics, I was prepared for some performance issues, but surprisingly, it performed better than Far Cry 3.
During the cutscenes, I was getting a more stable 20-30 FPS, which made the experience smoother and far more enjoyable. While this isn’t perfect for a fast-paced game, it was playable, and I was able to get through the cinematic moments without too much frustration.
Once the actual gameplay began, though, things started to slow down again. I was averaging 10-20 FPS, which, while not ideal, was a bit more bearable than Far Cry 3. The game’s fast movements and intense combat sequences were challenging at that frame rate, but at least I wasn’t dipping into single digits.
Even though the performance wasn’t flawless, I was impressed by how well Winlator handled Tomb Raider on an Android device. It gave me a glimpse into the potential for gaming on mobile if developers put more effort into optimizing these emulators or if I had a device with more powerful specs.
GTA IV: Surprisingly Playable 🚗
Finally, I tried GTA IV, a game I’ve always loved for its open-world freedom and immersive city environments. To my surprise, this game performed the best out of the three. I was consistently getting 15-20 FPS, which isn’t mind-blowing by any means, but it was stable enough to enjoy.
Despite the large open world of Liberty City and the complex physics, GTA IV ran much smoother than I expected. Sure, there were occasional stutters and frame drops, but for the most part, I was able to play without too much frustration. Compared to Far Cry 3 and Tomb Raider, this was the most enjoyable experience, and I could see myself actually playing through the game this way, even though it wasn’t perfect.
What I Learned
So, what’s the takeaway from all this? First of all, playing AAA games on Android is possible—but it’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re expecting a flawless experience like you’d get on a PC or console, you’ll be disappointed. These games are designed to run on much more powerful hardware, so using an emulator like Winlator on a mid-range Android phone is going to have its challenges.
But it’s still incredible to see these heavy games even launch on a mobile device, let alone be somewhat playable. Winlator shows just how far we’ve come in terms of technology. Even though my phone’s performance was significantly reduced, I was still able to run these games, and that’s saying something.
Here are some key points to keep in mind if you’re thinking about trying this yourself:
- Device Power Matters: If you have a more powerful Android phone, you’re likely going to get better results. My phone, being throttled by poor updates, couldn’t give its full potential.
- Expect Lower FPS: Unless you’re using a high-end phone, don’t expect 60 FPS gameplay. You’ll likely be playing at 10-30 FPS depending on the game and your device’s specs.
- Recording Gameplay Will Impact Performance: If you plan on recording your gameplay, be aware that it will consume extra resources and lower your FPS. So, if you’re trying to get the best performance, it’s probably better to avoid recording unless absolutely necessary.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth Trying?
Despite the performance issues, this experience was still pretty cool. It shows that the future of gaming on mobile is bright, especially with the continued development of emulators like Winlator. Imagine being able to run AAA games smoothly on a smartphone in the near future—that’s a game-changer!
If you’re a gamer looking to push the boundaries of what your phone can do, or just curious to see how these games perform on mobile, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. However, make sure you’re prepared for lower frame rates and some technical hiccups along the way.
Have you tried playing PC games on Android? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments below!