Diablo Immortals is the latest entry of the famous Diablo series, but unlike its predecessors, it’s designed to be a mobile game. By popular demand, Blizzard has released a PC version that works on Windows natively. However, people still play it on a PC using an Android emulator.
Both methods for playing the game are still available today, and we’ll cover them below. Read on to find out more.
Playing the Diablo Immortal PC Version
Getting the PC version of Diablo Immortal is extremely simple. You only have to visit the website, and you’ll see the option to download it. However, you need a Battle.net desktop app and an account to play the game. All three programs are free and merely require some free space on your hard drive.
The process goes like this:
- Go to this page.
- Click on “Download Battle.net,” located at the top-right corner.
- Install Battle.net.
- Create an account and verify it.
- Go back to the first page and click “Play For Free.”
- The Diablo Immortal installer will automatically download if there are no errors.
- Follow the instructions and install the game.
- Once that’s complete, log in to Battle.net and start playing.
As you can see, this process is similar to installing other free-to-play PC games that require a specific client. Without Battle.net, you can’t play Diablo Immortal on PC.
To enable crossplay, click on a server and select “My Heroes” to continue playing. Crossplay and cross-progression are features that Blizzard implemented to create a seamless experience when changing platforms.
On PC, you control your hero using a mouse and keyboard. Blizzard brought back the classic Diablo control scheme of left-clicking to attack and right-click to move. You can still change the controls to a preferred configuration if that makes you comfortable.
However, the WASD movement is new to the series, and that’s something present on the mobile version. If you’re worried about missing out by playing on PC, there’s no need to worry. You can enjoy the same type of movement and playstyle no matter your platform.
Even better is controller support. This experience is closer to the mobile version, so you only need to pick up the controller, and things feel just right.
Playing Diablo Immortal Using Bluestacks
The best way to play Diablo Immortal is using Bluestacks, as the mobile version is superior to the PC port. The main advantage is you don’t need to get a Battle.net account if you only want to play on mobile, even when emulating it. Thus, the only thing you need is Bluestacks and the game app.
- Download the Bluestacks emulator version you prefer.
- Run the installer and wait for it to finish.
- Launch Bluestacks and open the Google Play Store.
- Sign in to your Google account in the Play Store.
- Search for Diablo Immortal for a mobile game.
- Download and install Diablo Immortal on Bluestacks.
- Click on the game and launch it.
- Enjoy the gameplay.
Both the mobile and PC versions are connected if you run both, so you can switch platforms as you like. However, if you use Bluestacks, the game thinks you’re on mobile, so this step isn’t necessary.
When playing using Bluestacks, you’ll have to assign mouse and keyboard buttons to the on-screen mobile buttons usually activated by finger taps. Fortunately, all of this is also customizable.
In addition, Bluestacks supports controllers natively. If it detects your controller, you can set up a control scheme and start playing Diablo Immortal this way.
Which Version Is Better?
Diablo Immortal is a relatively new game, so noticing some errors and bugs is not unusual. Since the game is continually improved, players should send Blizzard feedback so the company can improve the game properly.
The mobile version of Diablo Immortal played on a smartphone or tablet is superior. You might think a more robust platform like PC would outperform the mobile version, but things aren’t that simple. Here’s why the PC version needs work.
It’s Not Entirely Optimized for PC
PCs have much more processing power and GPU juice to run games at settings mobile devices today can’t reach. Although Diablo Immortal is a game built for mobile devices, Blizzard hasn’t made it entirely optimized for PC yet.
For example, the graphics are low-quality, and the UI is too small. If you scale it up, it looks pixelated and ugly. The fact that only the mobile version has graphics adjustment sliders adds insult to injury. The PC version doesn’t allow for resolution changes at all.
If you swap from menu to menu often in games, it’s reasonable to expect them to appear in an acceptable quality. Sadly, Diablo Immortal’s menus are pixelated, and it’s something you can’t avoid as you play the game.
Thus, if you own a large screen, Diablo Immortal for PC will look like an ancient video game compared to your iPad’s smaller screen – a strange decision to make by the developers.
There are also reports of random frame drops. You would expect the PC version to run at 60 FPS regularly, but that’s not the case. The framerate will occasionally drop, and the reason isn’t apparent.
The controls are also clunky on the PC version. Right now, the buttons for movement and attack are coupled, and there’s no way to prevent that. Unless Blizzard updates the controls, many people will find it difficult to make fine movements.
You Need Battle.net
Battle.net is an inferior digital rights management platform compared to competitors like Steam and the Epic Games Launcher. Most players believe there are very few games worth buying on Battle.net compared to these two, so you’re only getting a launcher for a few games.
PC Version Bugs
Bugs are hard to escape from, and a few are expected. However, Diablo Immortal’s bugs are often infuriating and cause freezes. One cause may be the annoying pop-ups persuading you to buy the bundle.
Random crashes from pressing in-game buttons and audio disappearing are also plagues. A PC-exclusive bug is when you press the Esc key, and the main menu pops up. Checking the inventory, a staple for all RPGs, shouldn’t be this problematic.
Bluestacks Has Ping
Since Bluestacks is an emulator, you must send signals from the PC to the emulator before the Diablo servers receive the information. Therefore, the ping will increase and result in some input lag. When you compare the official PC client and Bluestacks emulation, there may be some noticeable differences.
Until Blizzard spends time and money to make Diablo Immortal run better on PC than mobile devices, there’s almost no reason to switch from the Google Play or iOS versions. They’re infinitely more convenient and have even more settings.
The game is in the early stages post-release, so Blizzard has more time to prove it’s willing to improve the game. Perhaps things will change in the future.
An Unusual Experience
Diablo Immortal isn’t entirely a disaster despite some strange decisions when porting the game to PC. However, it has some great aspects that shine more on mobile or the Bluestacks emulator. In the end, you can still have hours of fun no matter the platform you prefer.
What changes do you wish to see Blizzard implement? What do you think about the game in general? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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