Jul 13, 2021 11:29:00

Android 12 allows you to start playing even the game you are downloading

by

Yuri Samoilov

Google announced the game's 'Play-as-you-download ' feature on July 12, 2021 as a new feature in the Android 12 and Google Play stores. When you download a large game, you will be able to start playing before the download is complete, and you will be able to start playing the game as soon as possible.

Android Developers Blog: Updates from the Google for Games Developer Summit
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2021/07/updates-from-google-for-games-developer.html

Android 12 will default to a play-as-you-download scheme for newer games | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/android-12s-play-as-you-download-scheme-will-make-games-start-twice-as-fast/

'Play-as-you-download' is a function that has already been adopted by major game distribution stores. If you download data such as the game engine, UI, initial startup sequence, and game content, you can start and play without downloading the entire game.

The largest files in the game are assets such as graphics, sounds, and pre-rendered videos, but if you download them separately, 'what you need immediately' and 'what you need later' You can significantly reduce the time it takes for the first download.

Below is the download of the 127MB game from the Google Play store. The image on the left is the conventional one, and the image on the right is the one with 'Play-as-you-download' enabled.

The Play-as-you-download function is activated when about 40% of the total is downloaded, and a start button has already appeared on the Google Play store.

When the game starts, if you look at the conventional Google Play store screen, it is 98% downloaded.

Google has previously offered 'Google Play Instant Apps,' which adds a 'Try Now' button to compatible apps on the Play Store to reduce app installation time. However, this feature is only used for demos and is not a substitute for installing the app itself.

Also, I couldn't find out which apps are compatible with Google Play Instant Apps. However, the Play-as-you-download function is for all games, and the Google Play store will automatically enable it.

In addition, Google also announced the 'Android game development kit ' on the same day, and it is appealing that the first release has the following three features.
· Integrated workflow, including new Visual Studio extensions
C or C ++ game library, including new game text input library
· Performance optimizations such as frame profiler support in GPU profiler and new load time support in Android Performance Tuner