Tablets - Windows, Android and Apps

[SarahLauritzen]

Hello,

I am considering getting my first tablet. The thing that prompted me into looking into getting one of my own was that my husband is now bored of me stealing his (hateful) iPad to play games on it that I cannot get on my Lumia phone. (Don't know the model number but it is the now discontinued one with the big screen, the 15-something)

Anyway. I am Windows through and through. My first smart phones were Android but that was back in th very early days of Apple alternatives and it didn't do much then like it does now.

Are the apps for Windows tablets just as limited as they are for Windows phone?

Is there any way to run an Android simulator on a Windows tablet to get access to Android apps and games and would the simulator work as well as having an actual Android tablet or should I just break the chain and get an Android based tablet?

Any help gratefully received as I do not want to part with upwards of 5000,- Danish Krone for something I either can't get to work properly or don't enjoy using.

Thank you.

 

[Drael646464]

You can also dual boot windows and android tablets, from Chinese OEMs.

There are more UWP games on tablets, due to the centennial bridge, but few of them are touch enabled. An example would be Dark Dream, which is PC only but touch enabled.

There are a few win32's that are touch enabled that generally blow any mobile app game out of the water (although not many, and some require good hardware) - witcher 3, sims 3, trine 2, civ 5 and civ beyond earth, the shadowrun series, the legend of grimrock games (there are a few more - really only witcher 3 is high hardware btw)

Some games that are not specifically touch enabled can be run with some tweaks touch only (if they are mouse driven games). An example I can think of is tides of numerena - with gesturesign mapping a few keys it can be made playable in touch only. If you add a keyboard dock you can add some more games (ie all of the games on the platform), also if you use a controller.

There are some touch based game controllers as well, but I have little experience with them (TouchFox and TabletPro). You use these to overlay a touch controller on top of the game. I've never really had a problem finding enough games to play, and never been into first person shooters, so never really bothered with these.
...


Here's a list I made awhile back that includes some steam games, some windows store games that all play touch only for tablets...(which may save some folk some work)

25 Best Touch Games for Windows Tablets – Tap That Blog | Cheap Tablets NZ | Android Tablets NZ

These are the games I intend to install or check out on my win10 mobile when I get it:

Gods of rome, Modern combat 5, Asphalt 8, Tiny troopers 2, Leo's Fortune, Deus Ex GO, Stealth inc 2, Mirror's Edge, Pinball Deluxe: Reloaded, Machinarium, Mirrors Edge, Metro 2033 Wars

Games I have on my windows tablet:

Asphalt 8, botanicula, Calvino Noir, Lara Croft Go, Legend of grimrock II, modern combat 4, Shadowrun directors cut, Civilisation 5, room 2, tiny troopers, tides of numenera, trine 2, tyranny (needs a mouse or trackpad).

I think if you wanted a gaming tablet, I'd go for a dual boot.

Something like the Cube iwork1x might work well. Will be able to handle games like trine 2, comes with a keyboard dock for expanded game selection and features android 5.1 for the android titles. Best of both worlds.

It won't run witcher 3, but will handle all those others I listed. You can get such a tablet via aliexpress (which has escrow protection for the sale), just use fast shipping like EMS or DHL.

With a dual boot device, of some sort, you get the ability to play beautiful titles like trine 2 (a killer bus stop game, truly) and legend of grimlock 2 which don't exist on android or ios, and with a keyboard dock or controller you get access to a lot of less demanding casual PC games that don't run touch, like for example the need for speed most wanted (2003).

With the android partition you get access to those touch only android quality titles like limbo, KOTOR, grand theft etc (which does exist on windows phone but only for particular older models).

My tablet was originally dual boot, but I deleted the android partition (which is not at all easy!). Mainly because I'm not really into the freemium model. and wanted extra space for PC games. I'd rather pay and get quality/depth, and most of those are ports and limited in number and games I've already played on PC. Old school gamer I suppose

I have plenty of fun on my windows tablet (teclast x98 plus, its a dual boot originally, with 4/64 in 9.7 inch form factor).

TLDR : If you want access to the most games possible, and lean towards casual, probably dual boot is the best. Windows has casual games, good quality ones, and it has some stand out full desktop games that work with touch, as well as many more than work with a mouse or keyboard, but android has some touch ports, and a few quality app games that windows doesn't - if you want max number of titles for casual touch games, and most gaming flexible device, android/windows dual boot is the best bet IMO. Between those two you get more than android, windows or ios alone. If your more of a "serious gamer" get a straight up windows hybrid with the most power you can find, and play some games touch only and some with an xbox controller or the included keyboard dock. There's a lot of older or less demanding games that you can play on a tablet these days.

Of course another option for a gaming dedicated device is things like the razor gaming latops, the Nintendo switch, or the "gpd win", depending on what you are after. There's also a kickstarter for a gamepad based portable windows gaming device that looks amazing, and contollers you can buy that attach to a tablet or phone.

 

[xandros9]

Tablets are a bit better than Windows Phone but it isn't great.

There are ways to run Android applications but they're rather clunky, need payment, aren't great with performance or all of the above. I would strongly recommend either an iPad or Android tablet. (although pickings are slim, try to get something supported or with custom ROM support - not a cheapo $30 Chinese one in the bargain bin) Choose a Windows tablet if you just want acomputer to run x86 programs, but you won't have the casual iOS/Android/mobile games you want.

 

[AndyCalling]

You can download a ZX Spectrum emulator for free on your tablet. Then you have access to thousands of the best games ever created, real trend setters like Manic Miner, Head Over Heals, Arkanoid and Wizball. You can get an emulator for your Windows Phone but they work better on a tablet. That little lot should keep you jiggling your joystick for a long time to come.

 

[zack251]

Apps on Windows tablet are not limited. You can install apps from Windows store, Win32 apps, and install Android emulator to get Android apps. A Windows tablet is far more useful than Windows phones or Android because you are not limited to Google Play store or Windows store. Some Windows tablets also have a sim card slot but only for data not for phone functions. I hope the introduction of Windows on Arm can bring the phone function to Windows tablet. I am enjoying my HP Elite X2 with a Sim card to access the Internet without tethering or using wifi.