Google Play Games lets you play Android games on Windows devices using emulation, which requires Hardware virtualization to be turned on. Which is why you get “Hardware Virtualization Must Be Turned On” when it is turned off. Without this feature nothing will work. Hardware virtualization is a processor feature that allows Windows to run isolated virtual environments and Google Play Games needs this feature to create the Android environment on Windows. So follow along as we show you how to enable it.

Takeaways:

  1. Google Play Games not working because of Hardware Virtualization errors.
  2. Where to enable Hardware Virtualization on Windows 11

Check If Your CPU Supports Virtualization

Most new Intel and AMD processors support virtualization, so if your CPU is a little older, you should check to see it if is supported. To do this do the following:

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
  • Go to Performance > CPU and note your processor name
  • Search your CPU model on the official Intel or AMD website
  • Look for Intel VT-x, Intel Virtualization Technology, AMD-V, or SVM

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Importat: If your processor does not support virtualization, this feature cannot be enabled and Google Play Games will not function on your system. The only way to get it working is to get a new CPU.

How to Fix the “Hardware Virtualization Must Be Turned On” Error in Google Play Games

If your CPU supports this feature but it is disabled you will need to turn it on. Since every motherboard and hardware manufacturer has a different BIOS/UEFI screen, we can't give you the exact steps for this process but we can get you close enough. The steps should be "similar" on most devices though.

  • Shut down your PC completely.
  • Turn it on and immediately press the BIOS/UEFI access key. This is often Del, F2, F10, or Esc check your motherboard manual if unsure.
  • Go to the Advanced or CPU Configuration section.
  • Find and enable Intel VT-x (for Intel CPUs) or SVM for AMD CPUs).
  • Save your changes and exit (usually by pressing F10).
  • Boot into Windows and try Google Play Games again.

Enable Windows Virtualization Features

Once you have enabled Hardware Virtualization in the BIOS/UEFI you will need to enable it on Windows as well.

  • Press Windows + R, type optionalfeatures, and press Enter.
  • In the Windows Features window:
    • Check Virtual Machine Platform.
    • Check Windows Hypervisor Platform (if available).
  • Click OK and allow Windows to install these components.

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  • Restart your PC.
  • Launch Google Play Games and check if the issue is resolved.

Note:If these options are missing, greyed out, or uncheck themselves after restarting, it usually means you lack administrative rights.

Disable Conflicting Hyper-V Components

On some systems, Hyper-V or related features can cause issues with Google Play Games. So if you are having weird issues try making the following changes:

  • Open optionalfeatures again
  • Disable the following:
    • Hyper-V
    • Windows Sandbox
    • Windows Subsystem for Linux (if not needed)
  • Restart your PC
  • After restarting, launch Google Play Games to check if the error is resolved.