Bluestacks also supports key-mapping which comes quite handy while playing games on a bigger screen. Get Saint Seiya for Windows 10 using Bluestacks. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to install Showbox on PC with BlueStacks. Download the BlueStacks installer using the below-provided download button. Aug 21, 2021 Hamburger menu in BlueStacks 4. A new hamburger menu has been added to the top right corner of the player. This menu has settings for the customization of BlueStacks. To know more about this hamburger menu please visit this link. Advanced game controls on BlueStacks 4. New simplified UI for key mapping features. Jan 19, 2021 Customize & Use BlueStacks. You can customize the keyboard shortcuts used to do things like tap, swipe, tilt, and zoom. Click the keyboard keys icon at the top of the screen. If you don't want to use the keyboard, click the 'Disable Key Mapping' slider button on the left. For this, press Esc+Option+Command keys, select BlueStacks App and click. Best Android Emulators / Bluestacks Alternatives for MAC, Windows PC in August 2021. There are various Bluestacks alternatives you can consider a replacement. Some of them even work in a better way. Below is the list of Top 10 Bluestacks alternatives: #1 NOX Player. Starting the list form Nox Player.
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Virtualization, mobile software |
| Genre | |
| Founded | April 25, 2009; 12 years ago[1][2] |
| Founders | Rosen Sharma, Jay Vaishnav, Suman Saraf[3] |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Worldwide | |
Key people |
|
| Products | App Player, GamePop |
| Website | www.bluestacks.com |
Download BlueStacks 6x faster performance than any phone, personalized controls, level up your android gaming on PC & Mac with BlueStacks.
BlueStacks Client with Androidhome screen open as of July 2021. | |
| Stable release | |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7 or later;[5]macOS Sierra or later[6] |
| Platform | IA-32, x86-64 |
| Size | 527 MB |
| Available in | 48 languages |
| Type | |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | www.bluestacks.com |
BlueStacks is an American technology company known for the BlueStacks App Player and other cloud-based cross-platform products. The BlueStacks App Player is designed to enable Android applications to run on PCs running Microsoft Windows and Apple's macOS. The company was founded in 2009 by Jay Vaishnav, Suman Saraf, and Rosen Sharma, former CTO at McAfee and a board member of Cloud.com.
Investors include Samsung.[7]
The company was announced May 26, 2011, at the Citrix Synergy conference in San Francisco. Citrix CEO Mark Templeton demonstrated an early version of BlueStacks onstage and announced that the companies had formed a partnership. The public alpha version of App Player was launched on October 11, 2011.[8] App Player exited beta on June 7, 2014. On July 23, 2014 Samsung announced [7] it had invested in BlueStacks. This brought total outside investment in BlueStacks to $26 million.[9]
BlueStacks App Player[edit]
The App Player, software that virtualizes an Android OS, can be downloaded in versions for Windows 10 and macOS. The software's basic features are free to download and use. Advanced optional features require a paid monthly subscription.[10] The company claims the App Player can run 1.5 million Android apps as of November 2019.[11] As of February 2021, BlueStacks have been downloaded over 1 billion times and has more than 500 million users.[12] App Player features mouse, keyboard, and external touchpad controls.
BlueStacks for Mac[edit]
On June 27, 2012, the company released an alpha-1 version of its App Player software for macOS,[13] while the beta version was released on December 27, 2012.
In April 2015, BlueStacks, Inc. announced that a new version of App Player for macOS, 2.0, was in development, which was released in July.[14]
BlueStacks 2[edit]
In December 2015, BlueStacks, Inc. released the new version BlueStacks 2.0[15] which lets users run multiple Android applications simultaneously.[16] BlueStacks 2.0 was also available for Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks or later, till 2018.
BlueStacks TV (BTV)[edit]
On April 7, 2016, the company released BlueStacks TV which integrated Twitch.tv directly into the BlueStacks App Player.[17] This addition allows users to stream their apps to Twitch without the need for extra hardware or software. BlueStacks released Facebook Live integration in September 2016, allowing users to stream their gameplay to their Facebook profiles, Pages they control, or Facebook Groups they belong to.[18]
BlueStacks 3[edit]
In July 2017, BlueStacks released BlueStacks 3 based on a brand new engine and front-end design.[19] BlueStacks 3 added App Center which personalizes game suggestions, an account system, chat, new keymapping interface, and multi-instance. Multi-instance allows users to launch multiple BlueStacks windows using either the same or different Google Play account.
BlueStacks 3N[edit]
On January 19, 2018, BlueStacks announced the release of the BlueStacks + N Beta which runs on Android 7 (Android Nougat) and claimed to be the first and only Android gaming platform to have Android 7 at the time, since the majority of Android emulators ran Android 4.4 (KitKat), including prior BlueStacks versions.[20] This beta version is powered by an upgraded 'HyperG' graphics engine allowing BlueStacks to utilize the full array of Android 7 APIs
BlueStacks 4[edit]
On September 18, 2018, BlueStacks announced the release of its latest flagship version, BlueStacks 4. BlueStacks 4 benchmarks 6-8x faster than every major mobile phone according to the Antutu benchmark.[21] BlueStacks 4 also includes dynamic resource management which only initializes the required Android libraries thus freeing resources. A new dock and search offer a clean user interface. New AI powered key-mapping tool auto maps keys in supported games with key customization also available for further tweaking. In addition, BlueStacks 4 supports[22] both 32-bit and 64-bit version of Android 7.1.2 Nougat.
Development for macOS has been restarted, and version 4 is currently available from the website as of November 2019, first released for Mac in January 2019.[23]
BlueStacks 4 64-Bit Beta[edit]
On January 17, 2019, BlueStacks released a 64-bit version of BlueStacks 4 via its early access program.[24] This version runs on a 64-bit version of Android 7.1.2 which allows for improved performance, and more efficient memory usage. The prerequisites for running this build include running a 64-bit version of Windows 8 or later, with virtualization enabled, and Hyper-V disabled. This 64-bit release allows the installation and usage of ARM64-v8a android applications.
BlueStacks 5[edit]
On May 19, 2021, BlueStacks released BlueStacks 5.[25]
Minimum requirements[edit]
Current minimum requirements for App Player for Windows include: Windows 7 or higher, 2 GB or higher system memory, 5 GB of hard drive space, administrator rights, and an Intel or AMD processor.[5] BlueStacks clashes with the BitDefender antivirus software.[26] An update to the latest graphic card driver version is also recommended.
Minimum requirements for macOS are: macOS Sierra or higher, 4 GB RAM, 4 GB disk space, and a model newer than 2014. BlueStacks has explicitly said that they have not supported Apple silicon yet.[27]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'BlueStacks hits a billion apps used per month and launches new mobile platform'. VentureBeat. December 3, 2015. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^'BlueStacks Partners With AMD, Bringing 500,000 Android Apps To Windows PCs'. TechCrunch. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^Media, Ryan Daws | 19th September 2018 | TechForge (September 19, 2018). 'BlueStacks emulates Android '6x faster' than leading smartphone and is a verified app (safe to download)'. Developer Tech News. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^'Download BlueStacks Offline Installer'. Bluestacks - The Best Android Emulator on PC as Rated by You. January 21, 2017. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ ab'System requirements for BlueStacks 4'. BlueStacks Support. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^'How can I Install and launch BlueStacks on Mac OS?'. BlueStacks Support. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^ abEtherington, Darrell. 'After 10M Downloads, Samsung Backs GamePop As BlueStacks Adds $13M In New Funding'. TechCrunch. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^Empson, Rip. 'BlueStacks Releases App Player And Cloud Connect Service To Let You Run Android Apps On Your PC'. TechCrunch. Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^'Samsung invests $13M in Android microgaming console GamePop'. CNET. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
- ^Whitney, Lance. 'Android apps can now run on your PC via BlueStacks'. CNET. Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^'BlueStacks Features and Comparison'. Bluestacks - The Best Android Emulator on PC as Rated by You. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^'What is Bluestacks?'. Bluestacks - The Best Android Emulator on PC as Rated by You. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^Rosenblatt, Seth. 'BlueStacks ports Android apps to Mac'. CNET. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^'BlueStacks - Did you pre-order the new Macbook?'. www.facebook.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^'Bluestacks Review and Fix Engine issues'. TechnoIliyas. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^'BlueStacks 2.0 Launched, Lets You Run Multiple Apps Simultaneously'. NDTV Gadgets 360. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^'Twitch users can now live stream Android games from their PC'. techcrunch.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^'Stream Android apps on Facebook Live with Bluestacks'. engadget.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^'BlueStacks 2 vs. BlueStacks 3 Features'. bluestacks.com. July 30, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^'Android N Comes to PC; BlueStacks Releases the First Android Gaming Platform Ever to Run Android N'. gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^'BlueStacks, an Android emulator for PC, gets an update with major performance upgrade'. gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^Kumar, Rahul (August 19, 2019). 'Is Bluestacks safe for Windows and macOS PC?'. HubsAdda. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^'Release Notes'. BlueStacks Support. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
- ^'Join our Discord Server for Early Access Releases and a Great Community'. reddit.com. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^BlueStacks 5 Global Release, retrieved June 5, 2021
- ^'r/BlueStacks - BlueStack and Bitdefender blocking some XML files'. reddit. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- ^'System specifications for installing BlueStacks on macOS'. BlueStacks Support. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
READ ALSO: Programs to install Android and its apps on Windows PC
Index
BlueStacks Guide
BlueStacks is free to download and is available on Windows and Mac.
Although it is possible to download practically any android application via BlueStacks, this emulation program is probably becomes valuable above all for gamers. With this emulator we can play with much less lag even the latest generation of 3D games, with a series of functions that make all smartphone games playable on PC. One of the most important features for an emulator is the keyboard mapping: BlueStacks allows you to configure custom keys to be able to play games using the keyboard and thus obtaining commands more direct and faster than pressing a specific point on the screen or the simulation of the touch on the screen.
Bluestacks Key Mapping Mac Address
In fact, among the most famous functions that we can use with BlueStacks, the game-based key mapping, creating custom touch points on the screen, specific key mappings, configuration of the mouse for the shots, advanced creation system of macros for repetitive tasks, multi-instance system (to play multiple games together) and multi-instance synchronization, all functions that are very difficult to achieve on a smartphone or tablet but which can make a difference when used with some specific games.
Games app to play on BlueStacks
Most of the popular apps are certainly available natively on Windows 10 and Mac, but in some cases the Android versions are more optimized. If there are any applications you would like to have on your Windows PC, BlueStacks is a great option that will help deliver a native Android experience on your PC. The fact that it can run multiple games and multiple apps at the same time is really an advantage. The best games that we recommend you to try right away on BlueStacks are the following:
- Among Us
- Roblox
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- PUBG MOBILE – Traverse
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
These and all other Android games can be downloaded from both the dedicated store and the Google Play Store, so you can really play without limits. To find out which games to try on BlueStacks we can also read our guide Best Android games of 2020 awarded by Google.
Generic apps installable on BlueStacks
Although BlueStacks is designed for games, nothing prevents us from using it even to be able to try the Android mobile apps on PC, so as to be able to create blog guides or use apps not available for computers. The best generic apps we can test on BlueStacks are:
- TikTok
- Discord
- Telegram
Golf Clash Controls On Bluestacks
It is also possible install Android applications in APK format, to download on sites like APKMirror. After downloading the APK file, just click with the right mouse button on the icon of an .apk file and then select the option Install with BlueStacks. The applications all work, except those that require the phone function and those that require access from only one device at a time such as, for example, WhatsApp.
Conclusions
BlueStacks is probably the best emulator ever created for Android, since it allows you to play at maximum detail and fluidity with every Android game from PC and Mac, thus exploiting the greater graphics power of computers and using the keyboard and mouse to control. BlueStacks can also be a good way to try out APK apps on PC without going through them first on your phone and is currently one of the best ways to have Instagram on PC with all functions active.
Keyboard Mapping
To learn more we can also read our guides Programs to install Android and its apps on Windows PC e Best 10 Android Emulators for Windows. If, on the other hand, we are looking to play old games on PC, we invite you to read our guide Emulators to play with Playstation, XBox, Nintendo and Sega consoles on PC.