On Google’s Keyword blog today, the company released a wave of significant updates for its Google Play Games for PC beta. Despite my skepticism about its potential to thrive given Google’s less than stellar gaming track record, the tech giant is charging forward by adding new games, enhancing features, and widening its service availability.
Let’s not bury the lede; Google’s Play Games for PC beta has been expanding its library consistently since launch. The most recent addition is the super popular Eastern game Free Fire MAX, which has already debuted in Malaysia and Taiwan (more countries coming in the coming weeks).
Oh, and speaking of regions and countries, the service’s availability is extending to 60 additional regions, bringing the grand total to 120 regions worldwide. While still in its beta phase, the pace and scale of this roll-out are commendable, even if I’m not raving about the overall experience. You can easily check if your country is on the list, too.
Google also claims that the Play Games for PC is now available to “hundreds of millions more PC users”. Though it didn’t share exact models or specifications about what “additional PCs” it’s fixed up the beta for, it must have done something significant to include “hundreds of millions more”.
Anyway, the most significant and definitely the most exciting update announced is the ability to customize your keyboard layouts for select games on compatible PCs. Thanks to this, you can remap your keyboard keys to feel and act different to match your gameplay preferences (and improve your KDR, of course).
If you haven’t yet tried the beta, you can download it and give it a go. Even though I’m not fully on board yet and may never be, I’ll still test out the new changes – albeit at arm’s length. Just let me know in the comments if you find a good keyboard layout for your favorite game, and if there are any other features you really want that are still absent.
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