You can run PC games like Fallout 3 and Oblivion on Android devices with the Winlator app

Emulating hardware on an x86-based Windows PC is normal, whether it's a gaming console from the 1980s or a modern app designed for an Android smartphone. PC emulation is normally the home of gaming, and running an Android game on Windows 11 is straightforward. But what about the other way around? Playing a PC game developed for x86 architecture and Windows on an Android device can be tricky, but it's getting much easier.

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Emulating PC games like Fallout 3 or The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on an Android device is now is as easy as firing up an app.

The good news is that x86 and Windows emulation on Linux systems with Arm-based processing has improved greatly in recent years thanks to tools like Box86 and Box64. We're now at the point where an app like Winlator allows you to run PC games on an Android device and play them with minimal fuss.

Winaltor uses existing tools and third-party apps like Wine and Box86 to bring Windows and PC gaming to Android users.

Winlator has just hit Version 3.0, with the latest update adding a welcome custom resolution option, improved controls, better audio, and other updates. Some classic PC games that run well on Winlator include Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Mass Effect 2, and Deus Ex Human Revolution.

We're talking about games from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era of gaming, but it's still impressive to see these PC games running well on an Android tablet. Winlator 3.0 is available to download via GitHub, and installation is easy.

1. Download and install the APK (Winlator_3.0.apk) from GitHub Releases
2. Download the OBB file (main.3.com.winlator.obb) and put it into the directory /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.winlator (create it if it doesn't exist)
3. Launch the app and wait for the installation process to finish

You'll need to provide the games, but if you're like me, your Steam library is chock full of classic PC games from the Fallout 3 era, ready to test out. It's just in time for the holidays, too, as it's much easier to lug around a tablet than a full desktop PC or gaming laptop.