Google Play Instant Lets You Sample Games And Apps Without Downloading

Google is extending its Instant App experience to now includes select games in the Google Play Store. Called "Google Play Instant," the new feature allows Android users to play game demos by clicking on a link instead of actually downloading and installing the full app. This is an added convenience for Android device owners, and should also benefit developers who can more easily tempt users with their games.

"With Google Play Instant, you can just tap and try a game without having to download it first—whether you’re looking to storm a castle on Clash Royale or become a wordmaster with Words with Friends 2. Google Play Instant experiences will be available in the Google Play Store, the Google Play Games app, or wherever game links are shared," Google explained in a blog post announcing the feature.


There are only a handful of titles currently available to try without a download, including the aforementioned Clash Royale (Supercell) and Words with Friends (Zynga), along with Solitaire (Zynga), Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire (Epic Action LLC), Bubble Witch 3 Saga (King), and Mighty Battles (Hothead Games).

To use the feature, Android users need only tap the "try now" button in the Google Play Store next to a supported app. There is actually a small download, though according to TechCrunch, the maximum file size for an Instant App is 10 megabytes, up from 2 megabytes before adding games to the mix. This is to accommodate the graphical assets and other bits needed to trial a game.

We haven't tested this ourselves, but supposedly the games load quickly. In addition, since some games are actually smaller than 10 megabytes, developers could make their entire game available as an Instant Download, if they choose to. In other cases, the file size limits means that only a small portion of content can be loaded and demoed by the end user, so developers building bigger games will have to decide what part of the app experience will best sink its hooks into the user and convince him or her into downloading the full title.