Arknights is a mobile tower defense game developed by Hypergryph, a Chinese game company. The “towers” you place down in this game are actually characters; you can obtain more of them using gacha mechanics. Just like in any tower defense game, the goal is to stop enemies from reaching your base. To accomplish this goal, you are given two types of characters: ranged and melee. Ranged characters function more-or-less like traditional towers; they are placed on elevated ground where enemies cannot reach. Melee characters, meanwhile, directly block the enemies’ path; although this is powerful, they also take far more damage. As a result, melee characters should be paired with ranged support characters to be effective. The story of Arknights revolves around a mineral called originium. This wondrous substance allows humans to use magic, however, prolonged contact with the material is always fatal. The Rhodes Island organization seeks to cure those poisoned by originium, however, as many world governments despise this dangerous substance, they will face armed resistance. Quite unfortunately, Arknights is available only on iOS and Android. But several unofficial tools can be used to play Arknights on PC too, as well as on Mac. Read the guide below for instructions.
Play Arknights on PC or Mac using Bluestacks
Note: Playing Arknights on PC or Mac via Bluestacks will allow you to use a keyboard and mouse, however, according to the latest updates, this won’t give you an advantage, as the game uses special separate servers for gamers playing with emulators.
Among the variety of Android emulators, Bluestacks is the most advanced one. Firstly, it is available for both Windows and Mac with full functionality. Secondly, it allows effortless, automatic transition to PC game controls and convenient hot-keys that you are used to from any regular PC game. It provides high performance and graphics in any mobile game even on a relatively weak PC or Mac, as computer processors are usually more powerful than smartphone ones. To run Arknights on PC or Mac you need to perform these easy steps:
- Download the latest version of Bluestacks for Windows or MacOS.
- Open Play Store and sign-in with your Google account.
- Download Arknights from the catalog and run it.
- Bluestacks may offer you to run better engine for this game.
- Install the game and start playing!
Play Arknights on PC or Mac using Tenorshare Phone Mirror
Tenorshare Phone Mirror is an application that allows you to control your smartphone from a PC or Mac. You will see your phone’s screen on the computer, and will be able to issue commands with keyboard and mouse. With advanced keyboard mapping abilities, similar to what is offered by Android emulators, you will be able to play Arknights on PC easily, all while enjoying the precision of PC controls. This method has an obvious disadvantage – it requires you to have a phone capable of running Arknights. However, there are several advantages as well. Because the game doesn’t actually run on your computer, the specifications of your PC don’t matter. What’s more, it is unlikely that you will be banned in any game for using this tool – something that might happen while using emulators. Phone Mirror can be used to control both iOS and Android devices, so unless you have a weak smartphone, this app will be useful to you.
- Download and install Tenorshare Phone Mirror on your PC or Mac computer.
- Launch it and pair your smartphone with your computer by following the program’s instructions.
- Install Arknights and start playing!
Play Arknights on M1 (M2, M3) Mac
Note: According to our research, playing Arknights on an M1 (M2, M3) Mac may cause a temporary or permanent account ban in the game, that is why it is recommended to play with the secondary account or as a guest.
As you may already know, M Macs (latest Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, Mac Mini, iMac) are able to run many iOS apps and games on MacOS. If for apps it can be useful because many iPad and iPhone apps are very advanced and suitable for desktop usage, in gaming this is just magic. M chips (especially M Pro, M Max, M Ultra) are much more powerful than iPhone and iPad chips, in many types of games (shooters, racing) keyboard and mouse (trackpad) controls are much more useful than touch.
To download and play Arknights on M1 (M2, M3) Mac do the following:
- On your Mac go to Mac App Store and click on your profile in the bottom left corner.
- Under account click iPhone & iPad Apps.
- Download Arknights on your Mac device and start playing!
Note: not all iOS games and programs support this feature. If you can’t find the game in Mac App Store, it is likely that the game’s developers have decided not to support it.