Google claims ChromeOS users will receive access to an “early Alpha” of game controls tailored for some touchscreen-only games — a move that feels a little late, coming years after Chromebooks gained access to Android applications and games. Mobile games are clearly designed for use on phones with touchscreens, which many desktops lack. Starting with ChromeOS 105, Google’s operating system can convert key inputs into simulated touches to bridge the distance.
The initial traces of the functionality were discovered by Android Police over a year ago, which Google also alluded to while announcing plans for a Steam Alpha earlier this year. Google adds that in the future, players will have access to an editor that will enable this same control mapping for any Google Play games that will function on a Chromebook, as well as expanded support for mouse, gamepad, and other types of touch inputs.
Google’s announcement includes a list of all the titles that are now supported, including joystick action games like Pixel Blade R – Revolution, a number of 2048 versions to experiment with swipe controls, and a few single- and multi-button control games like Hill Climb Racing and Tap Titans 2.
You might not be seeking a means to play more mobile games from the keyboard if you have a gaming PC, game console, or even your own phone to play on. However, for children who use Chromebooks as their primary device, or anybody else who enjoys this type of game, it may provide simpler access to play, particularly as we wait for Steam to become accessible on more ChromeOS devices and for Google to make its games store available on Windows PCs.
Users don’t need to do anything unusual to check it out, as long as they’re on version 105 or higher, which was supposed to appear on the stable release channel yesterday and should be available soon. Google notes that when you launch one of the games with game control compatibility, an overlay will appear displaying the keys that translate to the different touch controllers.
