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If you like an Android game or app and want to use it on a PC or Mac, then you don’t have to use a virtual machine with Android installed on it. You can run your favorite apps right on your PC or Mac with the BlueStacks emulator. In addition to PC and Mac, this emulator allows you to use applications on your TV, but first things first.

First, a little history. Company BlueStacks was created in 2009 specifically for porting mobile applications to any device. The first version of the emulator appeared in October 2011. And almost a year and a half later, in May 2013, a game console was announced. game pop.

game console

To begin with, I would like to write a little about the game console game pop. The developers offer two console options: game pop (for $129) and GamePop Mini (is free). Both consoles are purchased with a subscription cost only. $6.99 per month. To the cost of the console and subscription, you still need to add the cost of shipping, which is $9.95 for US residents and $19.90 for the rest of the world. The only difference between consoles is that the former is more powerful and supports more peripherals. The console comes with a controller, an HDMI cable, and a power supply. The subscription will include about 500 top paid games that you will receive for free, of course, if you do not take into account the cost of the subscription.

Now the console is still in development, and its release is expected in the winter. However, you can pre-order any of the consoles today at secure.gamepop.tv/PreOrderPlan.

Installing BlueStacks on a computer

Here and below I will describe the use of the emulator BlueStacks only for PC running Windows 7. To get started, download the distribution from the official page: www.bluestacks.com. Developers support Windows XP/Vista/7/8 and MAC OSX.

Run the downloaded distribution and you will see a prompt to install BlueStacks in multiple languages ​​at once. Click the «Continue» button.

On the next screen, you can change the installation location, but I recommend not changing anything. Just click on the «Next» button.

In the next installation step, you can choose whether you need access to the App store (App store access) and whether you need to be notified (App Notifications). If you are not sure if you need these options or not, leave the checkboxes unchecked. Click the «Install» button.

While the installation is in progress, you will be able to see banners for several popular games supported by the emulator.

After installation BlueStacks will automatically start. To exit full screen mode, click on the arrows at the top right.

Setting up Android after installation

On first launch, you will need to set up your Android. Click on the «Continue» button.

You will see a familiar setup wizard Android. At the first stage, you need to choose, or create a new Google account or enter a username and password to an existing one. Let’s say you have an account and you want to use it. To do this, click on the «Existing» button.

Here you will need to enter Google account English letters. If you have the Russian layout set by default, you will not be able to switch to the English layout. To be able to use the Russian and English layout of the physical keyboard on Android you need to follow the following steps:

1. Click on the icon with the image of the keyboard in the lower right and select the menu item «Input method settings«.

2. Select the menu item «physical keyboard layout«.

3. Select English. This is a very important step. Without it, the layout will not work correctly!

4. Install Russian Keyboard Android. To do this, download the installation file ruKeyboard_1.60_r97_tg_test.apk to your computer and double-click on it when running BlueStacks (if nothing happened, right-click on the file in the explorer and select the menu item «Open With -> BlueStacks Apk Handler«).

Files:

The installation will go very quickly.

5. Reboot the emulator. To do this, right-click on the icon BlueStacks in the Windows tray and select the «Restart» menu item.

6. To start the setup again after the reboot, click on a game. The Google account has not yet been set up, so the setup will resume.

7. Click the «Continue» button.

8. Click on the icon with the image of the keyboard in the lower right and select the menu item «Input method settings«.

9. Check the box next to «English Keyboard» agreeing with the warning.

ten. Activate the keyboard. To do this, click on the menuLanguage and Input»

and Default.

Choose Russian layout.

eleven. Now you need to set up the Russian keyboard. Click on the settings icon.

Now on «Hardware keyboard«.

Next, you need to choose a layout. Press «Layout selection«.

Find in the list «External Keyboard EN” and click on it.

Now select switch layout. To do this, click on «Switching layout«.

12. Test your keyboard right away. To do this, click on «Keyboard test«.

After the layout is configured, return to setting up your Google account.

After setting up your account, set up a reservation.

Now launch the app sync setup. Click on the «Continue» button.

Sign in with your account.

Now everything is set.

Click the «Let’s go» button to start enjoying Android.

About the BlueStacks emulator

Looks home screen Android quite unusual. The fact is that it uses its own shell (launcher). Although you can work with it.

Here at the top left is the search for «Search”, a couple of applications and, on the right, a button to display all installed applications “All Apps«. If you open «All Apps”, then you will find the usual settings there Android and all installed applications. The home screen also displays top popular apps, apps for kids, puzzles, and other collections.

Google Play is installed, but to see it you need, for example, to start looking for some application, see the picture.

Now let’s try to install some game, for example, Angry Birds. The game was found in the search without problems and installed.

And it works great.

Now let’s try to run an application with 3D graphics. I installed the game Subway Surf. After launch, a hint appeared about which keys can be used in the game. This is very nice, because I do not have a touch display on my computer.

Well, the 3D graphics in the game worked flawlessly. The character in the game responds to the arrow keys without delay. Excellent.

Let’s try something «heavier». For example, a game RoboCop. The installation went fine. The graphics did not slow down, but the game is not designed to be played with a keyboard. And it is impossible to play with a mouse, because. to aim, you need to move the mouse on the left half of the screen, and to shoot — on the right.

Now let’s try to install the browser Google Chrome, because The built-in browser did not seem convenient to me. The installation was successful, but the pages Google Chrome could not display. Instead of pages — a black screen.

I would also like to note one nice feature of the emulator. For applications installed in BlueStacksshortcuts are automatically created in the Apps folder, the icon for which is on the Windows desktop.

If you open the Apps folder, you will see all installed applications.

Any of these shortcuts can be copied to the Windows desktop and run the application installed in BlueStacks, by double-clicking. It is very comfortable.

Support for BlueStacks Emulator Users

If you have any problems or requests, you can submit them to the support team from the following page: support.bluestacks.com. In addition, I found a large section dedicated to BlueStacks on w3bsit3-dns.com forum. There you can learn how to install a third-party shell and return a shortcut Google Playhow to control games with the keyboard and mouse, how to resize windows and more.

Outcome

The emulator turned out to be quite interesting, because you can run your favorite applications in it. True, as the test showed, not all applications can be used. In addition, it takes a long time to set up the Russian keyboard layout. In general, if you are not afraid of difficulties and possible dances with a tambourine, then you can safely start using BlueStacks.