Pokemon Go may be a mobile game but there is a way to play it on your Windows PC. Here’s what you need to know.
Image: Supplied
The global rollout of Pokemon Go has stalled as Niantic shifts its focus to improve the quality of the game for existing players. Pokemon Go servers have been struggling to keep up with the sheer number of people who are playing the game, which resulted in an outage yesterday.
For those who are in regions that are still waiting for Pokemon Go to consume their lives hit their shores, there is a way for you to play the game if you have a Windows PC handy. Similar to the iPhone and Android hack that we highlighted last week, you can run an Android emulator and load the Pokemon Go APK onto it.
Pokemon Go relies on your phones GPS to track your location to let you interact with wild Pokemon and Poke Stops in your vicinity. You can’t do that with your PC so you’ll have to fake your GPS location in the Android emulator with a GPS spoofing app.
YouTube user Travis D has created an extensive video guide on how to do all this using the Bluestacks app player, along with lengthy instructions:
This hack can obviously be used by people who want to cheat in Pokemon Go. We strongly advise against doing that. Not only does it violate Niantic’s terms of use for the game, but you’ll also ruin the experience for legitimate players. As mentioned in our previous Pokemon Go article, these kinds of tricks are useful for people who either can’t get the game in their region, or are stuck indoors (say, if you’re trapped at work) and/or incapacitated. Bottom line: Don’t cheat.
You can visit Travis D’s YouTube channel for the full instructions on how to play Pokemon Go on your PC. The details are all in the description and he even lists out the apps you’ll need to download to get everything working.
Bear in mind that you have to be careful where you download APKs as they can be a minefield for malware and viruses. Always exercise caution when downloading APKs from sources you are unfamiliar with.
[Via YouTube]
Comments
12 responses to “You Can Play Pokemon Go On Your PC”
The developers are Niantic, not Nuantic.
Niantic is the game app developer but the characters of pokemon are all generated by Nintedo. So I think author should mention them both. And here is what I find that can help record a Pokemon Go gameplay and players can also share their game clips on YouTube. Very nice tool!
Nintedo lol
I have to wonder when this game will reach critical mass and disintegrate, but that’s not what’s bothering me. Given how quickly the game went into overdrive, what does it say about the human condition with people becoming drones to a fad so easily? OK, I’ll admit I haven’t played and no doubt never will so troll away, but this is an interesting phenomenon, what happens when an evil genius creates a game that takes over your life completely? Just thinking out loud is all.
We’re about to find out…
Nostalgia really sells.
I think “drones to a fad” is a bit harsh in this context – it’s a completely new way of interacting with one of the most popular franchises of all time. Would it be appropriate to call people who own VR headsets the same thing? On top of that, I think there are much worse things to be drones to than a game based on a super popular IP that encourages exercise & real world social interaction.
Your take on the situation notwithstanding, This is an interesting phenomenon that we are just now seeing the beginning of. It’s one thing for people to be caught up in a game in their own home, quite another to see so many of them so very quickly caught up in a game that has them interacting with virtual elements in public. This game is just the beginning, the industry will now be building ever more interactive simulations that take people right out of their personal responsibility and common sense frame of mind. I can see there being legislation created sooner or later that makes it illegal to create or participate in games that cause public hazard. Just my opinion and it may well be overstated, but that is my take on this particular phenomenon.
That’s really interesting – I guess your point is that when people are interacting with the game in public they’re more likely to cross roads without looking (or even drive while swiping pokestops)? I’ve personally seen that a few times since the game came out but I mean how can you penalise that any differently to someone simply texting someone? Pokemon GO is more demanding of your attention (has to be open and active at all times, needs to be frequently checked to obtain benefit) but the onus would still be on the user to use their phone responsibly – as it would be if they were texting or doing anything else on their device. I can’t imagine the current government passing legislation (full stop, or) to prohibit developers from making engrossing apps/games/devices.
Who are the drones to a fad though? All those people who downloaded it the first three days based on their desire to play a pokemon AR game? Or all those who download it in the next month based on news reports and friends pestering them?
What is wrong with people having fun?
Woah… Has anyone realized but this is cheating?
GPS spoofing is stated in the Terms of Service and is prohibited (thus is a violation and leads to a ban). Not to mention, this is outright cheating.
You’re supposed to GO outside… EVEN if it means carrying a 10kg laptop with an android emulator installed and GPS inside/attached to it.
As for those without one? Buy a phone.. Or a new computer; most of the newer PCs have in-built GPS devices (after all, what’s the maps app of Windows 10 for?)