Key Takeaways
- Getting PC games on Android is possible through Winlator.
- ETA PRIME ran Fallout 4 on Snapdragon 8th Gen at 30-40FPS.
- Requires tinkering with game files and no DRM for smooth performance.
It’s by no means impossible to play PC games on an Android phone. Some games will have an Android version, and if it doesn’t, you can still play it on the cloud using an app like Xbox Game Pass. However, someone has found a way to turn their Android phone into a Steam Deck alternative, albeit with some flaws. If you’re willing to stomach the issues, you can get Fallout 4 running at 30FPS on your phone.
Related
One XPlayer X1 review: The largest gaming handheld you’ve ever seen
The One XPlayer X1 has a massive 11-inch screen and Intel Core Ultra processors, but does that make for a good gaming handheld?
Getting Fallout 4 running on a phone with Winlator
As spotted by Tom’s Hardwarethis cool feat was performed by ETA PRIME on YouTube. They’re a huge gaming handheld enthusiast, with lots of video reviews and hands-on under their belt. Now, they’ve decided to try their hand at making their own using their phone. And yes, this is all running on Android’s hardware; no cloud gaming or PC linking apps here.
ETA PRIME got everything running using Winlator, an app that acts as a Windows translator for other devices – hence the name. With the app, ETA PRIME got Fallout 4 running on a Snapdragon 8th Gen 2, clocking around 30-40FPS. All he needed to do was grab a controller and he could game away.
So, how easy is it to do? As ETA PRIME covered in their video, it takes a lot of tinkering. First of all, you need a copy of the game without any DRM, like Steam. Ideally, this means grabbing the game from a storefront that sells DRM-free games, such as Good Old Games. Once done, you need to adjust the files so it’s not a laggy mess; ETA PRIME had to tweak the game’s INI files to get it running smoothly, and they supply a download to this file in the description.
However, while it takes some effort just to get Fallout 4 running at 30FPS, it’s still a cool feat that may open the floodgates for similar projects in the future. And as smartphones get more powerful, we may see PC games running better on Android without the need to stream them from an external device.