BlueStacks 4 is out this week, running Android 7.1.2 (codename: Nougat). The popular PC gaming platform, which lets you download and play Android games from the Google Play Store, is now smaller, slicker, and yet more powerful than ever.
In fact, BlueStacks boasts that the latest version of its software is eight times more powerful than BlueStacks 3, and six times more powerful than Samsung’s industry-leading Galaxy 9X smartphone.
In case you’ve never come across it, BlueStacks is a desktop client that connects you directly with the Google Play Store and lets you browse its contents with mouse and keyboard, effectively turning your PC into the largest and most powerful smartphone on the market.
It lets you run multiple instances, too, so that you can play more than one game at a time, or even the same game with more than one account, all in different windows on your desktop.
The software automatically maps touchscreen commands to mouse inputs such as left button and scroll wheel, and you can customise the controls further with a simple interface, for example applying traditional mouse and keyboard or gamepad controls to a mobile first-person shooter, placing awkward virtual controls firmly in the dustbin of history where they belong.
In the words of BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma, “BlueStacks 4 kills all gaming-focused phones and tablets in terms of performance and experience. Fast, big screen, accurate controls, multitasking, and uninterrupted game play makes these devices a favorite among the gamers.”
In addition to the release of the latest version, BlueStacks has also announced a partnership with MSI. From now on, the software will be pre-installed in all MSI PCs and laptops, giving PC gamers a direct line into the world’s biggest digital game store.
“By integrating BlueStacks deeply to create this new category of mobile gaming devices, we are giving something that users need while expanding our potential market considerably. For the last 5 years we have seen PCs lose to mobile devices, we will reverse that trend in the gaming market.”
Click here to download BlueStacks 4 right now.
