One other week, one other Microsoft characteristic bites the mud – help for Android apps and video games in Home windows is getting the chop. Beginning subsequent yr, customers will want a third-party different answer to run Android apps in Home windows 10 and Home windows 11.
It’s because the official Home windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) app, an official Microsoft app that allows Home windows 11 to run Android purposes natively, will not be supported and Home windows customers gained’t be capable of entry the Amazon Appstore immediately on Home windows. Assist for WSA is slated to finish this time subsequent yr on March 5, 2025.
This information appeared in a discover added to the technical documentation for Home windows Subsystem for Android. On this discover, Microsoft states that customers can anticipate to entry any Android apps they’ve put in this manner (and from the Amazon Appstore) up till the date help is absolutely deprecated.
In keeping with Android Authority, after March 5, 2025, customers will be unable to entry any Android apps that depend on WSA. It additionally appears affordable to imagine that after this date, customers gained’t be capable of set up the WSA app, or set up any new Android apps from the Amazon retailer.
The approaching actuality for Android app followers
If you wish to use an app that’s not on monitor to be deprecated or are searching for a alternative when March 5, 2025 rolls round, you possibly can flip to unofficial third-party apps that may allow you to run Android apps on Home windows.
If it’s simply video games for Android that you simply’re all in favour of, there may be an official answer on provide from Google, Google Play Video games, which makes a whole bunch of Android video games capable of be performed on PCs operating Home windows 10 and Home windows 11. Google Play Video games remains to be in beta, however you possibly can obtain it from the official web site.
The demise of WSA may be very disappointing information from Microsoft and takes away choices for the way customers can use their PCs, presumably a transfer made within the identify of capping the visibility of opponents inside Microsoft’s flagship working system. That is purely in Microsoft’s curiosity and comes on the detriment of customers’ selection, and can pressure customers who wish to run Android apps to search out workarounds. One of many foremost appeals of Home windows towards opponents like ChromeOS and macOS is the flexibleness and customizability of the working system, and strikes like this solely serve to kneecap that promoting level.
I assume Microsoft hopes this may drive these customers to the Microsoft Retailer and contemplate getting Microsoft-issued apps as a substitute, however the choices of the Microsoft Retailer are one thing missing. I hope that Microsoft has substantial plans to enhance the Microsoft Retailer if it’s going to remove what was largely seen as a steady (and roughly easy) platform that expanded the apps accessible to customers by a sizeable quantity.
