MSI App Player for Windows

MSI App Player 10.0.30.6340 is a free Android emulator for Windows from MSI, developed together with BlueStacks. You download MSI App Player to play Android games and use mobile apps on a PC, with keyboard controls and, on MSI hardware, lighting effects that react to the game.

Quick facts

• Version: 10.0.30.6340
• Developer: MSI
• Engine: BlueStacks
• System: Windows
• Licence: free
• Installer: about 973.43 KB according to catalogue data (downloads the full emulator)
• Website: msi.com

What it offers

MSI App Player is a customised edition of BlueStacks, the widely used Android emulator, adapted for MSI's gaming laptops and desktops. It runs a full Android environment in a window, with Google Play for installing apps. For games, you get keymapping with ready-made control schemes for popular titles, the ability to run several instances at once, macro recording for repeated actions, and an eco mode that lowers resource use for games left running in the background. What MSI adds is integration with its own hardware: keyboard backlight profiles that show which keys are mapped, and lighting that syncs with MSI's software on supported devices. The emulator works on other PCs too, but the extra lighting features need MSI hardware. Since the small installer only fetches the main program, you need an internet connection during setup.

How to install

1. Open the official MSI App Player page and download the installer.
2. Run it and let it download and install the emulator.
3. Enable virtualisation (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) in the BIOS if performance is poor.
4. Sign in to Google Play and install your games.
5. Open the controls editor to adjust key mapping.

Requirements

A Windows PC with a processor that supports virtualisation, enough memory to run Android next to Windows, a solid-state drive for faster loading and up-to-date graphics drivers. Heavier games benefit from a dedicated graphics card.

Security

Download only from msi.com. Use a Google account you are comfortable using in an emulator, and avoid installing APK files from unknown sources.

Price

MSI App Player is free.

Tips

Assign more CPU cores and memory in the performance settings if your PC allows it, and use eco mode for idle instances. Update graphics drivers before blaming the emulator for stutter.

Who it suits

Owners of MSI gaming laptops get the most from it, thanks to the lighting integration. On other PCs it behaves much like standard BlueStacks, so players who already like that emulator will feel at home, while people who only need one or two apps may prefer something lighter.

Pros and cons

• Pro: based on the mature BlueStacks engine.
• Pro: strong keymapping and multi-instance support.
• Pro: lighting integration on MSI hardware.
• Con: extra features only on MSI devices.
• Con: heavy on system resources.
• Con: needs internet to finish setup.

Alternatives

BlueStacks itself and LDPlayer are available on our site. Tencent App Store runs Android apps from Tencent's catalogue on Windows.