CrossOver is receiving Steam and Office 2013 support in preview V.2, allowing users on Android and Chrome OS devices to access a series of software applications that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access without the CrossOver app. The idea behind CrossOver is to bring the ability to use Windows software to a number of different platforms, including Android and Chrome OS. While this is a significant achievement and it certainly serves to showcase what’s possible between different platforms, it’s worth noting that CrossOver Android is currently in closed beta access, so the only way to get a hold of the app at the moment is to sign up to be part of the beta. Beyond that your device has to have an Intel processor and it has to be running at least Android 5.0 Lollipop or above. That being said CrossOver V.2 is already on the Play Store to download as long as you’re part of the beta.
In addition to allowing access to the Steam client and Office 2013 suite of apps, CrossOver V.2 tech preview also allows access to a game called Wizard101 and a number of other Windows applications, though CodeWeavers who are the development team behind the software don’t mention exactly which applications they are as they state there is simply to many to mention. This is perhaps a good thing as it conveys that the CrossOver V.2 preview is opening up support for a lot more than the initial CrossOver software that was announced last Summer.
Software aside CrossOver V.2 preview also introduces a couple of other things that were mentioned by the CodeWeavers team. One of those things is an enhanced graphics user interface to make installing applications much easier than before, which is a little bit more under the hood compared to the support for these new Windows applications, but it also introduces multi-window support, which CodeWeavers states allows for cut and paste between Windows applications and Android applications. If you’re already using CrossOver and you want to update, it should be showing up for you in the Play Store, otherwise if you want new access you’ll want to sign up for the beta to check it out.