BlueStacks 5 beta brings Android emulation to ARM devices

BlueStacks is i of the most popular Android emulators bachelor. The makers of the emulator recently announced BlueStacks 5 beta, which includes several improvements over BlueStacks 4 that came out in 2022. The app now uses 40 percent less RAM, has new features, and supports ARM devices like the Surface Pro X.

The latest version of BlueStacks is a complete rewrite of the app. The two chief benefits of this rewrite are reduced RAM usage and support for ARM devices. It also has a 40 percent faster setup time and a library of over ii million games.

"ARM devices take a big advantage over x86 devices for running Android Apps as they don't need binary translation. Our support for ARM reflects the piece of work nosotros have been doing for the last three years," says Sharad Agawarwal, main builder for BlueStacks 5.

The emulator also has FPS lock and Long-flying features that get in better for longer play sessions. According to its developers, it should have more consequent FPS figures during gaming. It besides has an Eco-mode that makes multitasking more than efficient.

While there's plenty of good news when it comes to BlueStacks 5, Android Authority highlights a major weakness. According to Android Authority, BlueStacks 5 still uses Android 7.1.2 Nougat, which came out in 2022.

Using a version of Android from iv years ago could crusade compatibility issues going frontwards. Four years is a long time in terms of Android app support, and some app developers may movement away from Nougat before long if they haven't already.

While the press release announcing BlueStacks 5 beta mentions ARM back up, the emulator'due south page only lists Intel and AMD processors every bit supported at this time. It seems that ARM support will be bachelor in the future.