Windows Subsystem for Android declared ready for prime time

First Look Microsoft has decided nan Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) – its offering that runs Android VMs which behave conscionable for illustration different exertion successful Windows – is sufficiently unchangeable that it tin beryllium designated type 1.0 and made disposable to all.

Microsoft appears not to person made an charismatic announcement astir nan product's readiness beyond nan tweet beneath from Cory Hendrixson, who served arsenic improvement head for nan project.

Windows Subsystem for Android is officially v1. 31 markets and complete 50,000 apps! The astonishing point is conscionable really pedestrian it is to tally these apps. They consciousness for illustration moving a normal windows app... WAPost, Kindle Reader (on my SurfaceGo3), and Subway surfer are my favs. pic.twitter.com/jBu1KkMqFj

While it's beautiful that Windows tin now tally Android VMs, Hendrixson's tweet needs a small parsing. The "50,000 apps" he mentions are only disposable from nan Amazon.com app shop – not nan larger Google Play integer tat bazaar. Google's apps aren't successful nan Amazonian store, nor are Microsoft's. I couldn't find Twitter, WhatsApp, Slack, immoderate of nan banks I use, aliases nan Australian authorities apps I request to entree services. In truth it's reliable activity to find apps different than games successful nan shop – and erstwhile a hunt word does carnivore consequence it delivers what look for illustration knockoff apps that shriek "here beryllium dragons."

There's ever BlueStacks for Android gaming connected PCs, by nan way.

The absence of an charismatic announcement is besides a small perturbing, because Microsoft connected Thursday published news of an update to nan Subsystem for nan Windows Insider and Beta channels. That type is numbered 2209.40000.26.0, but nan type of nan Subsystem that downloaded erstwhile I tested nan merchandise is numbered 2207.40000.8.0 – which feels for illustration it's astir apt an earlier version.

• Microsoft debuts Windows 11 2022 Update – now pinch features added monthly
• Upgrading to Android 12.1 ... successful Windows 11: Telemetry abnormal by default
• Notepad Dark Mode and Android apps get connected Windows 11
• Amazon Appstore melts complete Android 12 'Snow Cone'

The Register took nan Subsystem for a rotation connected a 6th-gen Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon powered by a Core i5 8250 astatine 1.6GHz and packing 8GB of RAM. Installing WSA is very easy accomplished by utilizing nan Microsoft Store to instal nan Amazon app shop arsenic a Windows application.

Doing truthful sees Windows guideline you done nan installation of nan Subsystem and execute immoderate inheritance footling to guarantee Windows 11 is fresh to tally virtual machines. After a fewer minutes of activity Windows reboots and you're fresh to tally WSA, which booted unbidden a fewer seconds later.

Once you get an app from nan Amazon app store, it appears successful Windows arsenic conscionable different app. And erstwhile you tally it, it behaves conscionable for illustration immoderate different app.

I had an inconsistent acquisition pinch nan Subsystem. I decided to trial it pinch Angry Birds – an utterly acquainted app that relies connected touch screens and shouldn't taxation a PC. Here's really it appeared connected my first run.

I later tweaked nan WSA settings to amended admit keyboard input, but my choices grayed retired until only forced auto-resizing remained. That act, strangely, resulted successful a larger and faster Angry Birds that looked for illustration this.

Microsoft's advice to developers suggests nan WSA is an perfect measurement to target Windows users pinch codification written for Android. But it notes that galore things whitethorn request to alteration earlier an app behaves good connected nan desktop OS. Code that assumes touch input, for example, whitethorn not present a awesome personification acquisition erstwhile utilized pinch rodent and keyboard.

Your correspondent's little acquisition pinch nan merchandise suggests those caveats are needed. As are much useful apps, truthful that WSA becomes applicable for a wider assemblage beyond casual gamers. As things guidelines WSA will, if thing else, connection developers who activity connected Windows PCs a useful measurement to trial their work.

Speaking of developers, WSA has a GitHub page here. ®