Google is introducing a new service called ‘Play As You Download’ that allows users to start playing a game without having to wait for the full package to install. At the moment, users have to wait for a game’s entire package to download before they can start playing. Needless to say, the wait can be exhausting, especially for graphics-intensive games, such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty: Mobile, that require a few gigabytes worth of assets to load and become playable.
This is not the first time that Google has experimented with a solution that allows users to experience an app as quickly as possible without having to wait for long download times. Back in 2015, Google introduced what it called App Streaming, letting users get a taste of an app’s core premise without installing it. Later in 2018, the company revealed Google Play Instant Games that instantly launches a game demo without having to go through the whole download and install hassle, thanks to a ‘Try Now’ button.
Google’s latest attempt at letting users experience a game without going through the tedious wait for large file installation is the ‘Play As You Download’ system. Packaged with Android 12, it targets video games, especially those with a large file size that test the patience of eager mobile gaming enthusiasts. The company promises that users will be able to start playing a game seconds after hitting the install button, while the remaining files will continue to download in the background.
Play As You Download is built using the Play Asset Delivery system that aims to replace the legacy OBB system for Android apps. Play Asset Delivery, in turn, employs the App Bundle format that will be mandatory for all app submissions starting in August of this year. At the heart of Google’s latest solution is Android’s Incremental File System, which the company defines as a Linux-based virtual file system that enables program execution while the binary and resource files are still being downloaded in the background. Put simply, users will start using an app — game, in this case — as the remaining assets are downloaded silently in the background without affecting the core experience. The feature is now rolling out with the latest beta update of Android 12 for developers.
Google is promising a 2x faster experience with Play As You Download and assures that mobile games will be opened in seconds. Of course, the latter will depend on the size and type of game, and the complexity of graphics and audio assets it employs to bring a game to life. So, a casual game like Angry Birds will be ready to play almost instantly, while demanding titles like Genshin Impact will ask users to wait for a few seconds as assets for the first stages are installed and ready to run. For example, core assets such as the game engine, user interface, the starting sequence, and the first few levels are installed on priority, while the remaining assets for in-game cinematic videos and graphics as well as audio assets for later stages are given a lower priority.
Source: Android Developers Blog
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