Windows Subsystem for Android Gets High-Definition Video Improvements

Microsoft is squeezing in a final boost of 2022 for its Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) services. Specifically, the company is working on providing support for DRM-protected

high-resolution video streaming. If you are unfamiliar with WSA, it is the system that allows Windows 11 to support Android apps natively. When Microsoft initially announced

Windows 11 in June 2021, one of the big announcements was support for Android apps, the company’s latest effort to address the App Gap. This is thanks to a collaboration between

Microsoft and the Amazon App Store. Despite improvements to make Android apps seem as native as possible on Windows 11, video streaming has had severe limitations. For example, it

has been impossible to play DRM-protected video within the Android system on Windows. Microsoft now says it is working on changes that will address this issue: “This is something

on our radar already for new feature requests, we appreciate the feedback here,” Microsoft’s engineer Hamza Usmani confirms in a reply to the “Hardware DRM/Widevine L1”

feature request post. Android 13 Support Earlier this month, Microsoft brought Android 13 support to Windows Subsystem for Android. Google officially unveiled Android 13 in August

and it seems Microsoft has been working on bringing the platform to Windows 11 through WSA. The company has been developing the integration since October. Microsoft seems to be

paying a lot of attention to WSA and clearly sees it as an important component of Windows 11. I expect to see plenty of new features trickle to the container during 2023. Tip of

the day: Though many VPN providers have their own apps, you can in many cases connect to a VPN in Windows without any third-party software. This is ideal if you have a self-hosted

VPN or if you’re using a PC with restricted permissions. In our tutorial, we’re showing you how to connect to a VPN in Windows.