BlueStacks Systems Inc., makers of the free desktop Android emulator that allows users to enjoy mobile games and apps on their Windows desktop or laptop, announced earlier this week that its BlueStacks App Player now supports OS X. Mac users can now join the 85 million users the company says already uses BlueStacks on Windows.
A report from 9to5Mac pointed out that the company tested an OS X version of its software in 2012 already, but has only now officially released a publicly available version that allows Mac users to use Android apps and play Android mobile games on Mac.
Although the report is unclear about why there was such a long delay, it appears the company has put in a considerable amount of effort to take advantage of the unique features in Apple’s OS X.
“Mac OS is a top notch platform and we worked hard to take advantage of everything it has to offer,” BlueStacks Principal Software Architect David Reese told 9to5Mac. “From pinch to zoom on the trackpad to its retina display we optimized for everything.”
The BlueStacks App Player supports x86-based and ARM-based apps, Android TV apps and brings syncing features for sharing files and other content between a desktop and a mobile device.
The software also lets users download Android apps directly from Google Play, just like on any Android mobile device. The company claims an impressive 96 percent compatibility rate with Android apps and 86 percent with Android games.
Not only does the software take advantage of unique Mac track-pad and larger Retina display features, it also supports microphone, sensor and camera integration and comes with native graphics support. Combining all these features, users – especially gamers – are bound to have a more immersive experience compared to their mobile device.
BlueStacks, founded in 2011, has raised $30 million in five rounds from investors, including Intel, Andreessen-Horowitz, Ignition Partners, Radar Partners, Redpoint, Samsung, Qualcomm and Intel. The company has partnerships with Windows PC manufacturers Lenovo Group Ltd., ASUSTeK Computer Inc. and Micro-Star International Co. Ltd. (MSI) to preload the BlueStacks App Player on their PCs.
Download the free BlueStacks App Player for Mac from the company’s website.
