PlayTranslate is an Android application designed for real-time game translation, catering to both language learners and casual gamers. It addresses the challenge of understanding in-game text by offering on-device Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and translation capabilities, enabling users to play games in their preferred language or practice a new one. The app provides a suite of features aimed at seamless integration into the gaming experience.

How It Works

The core of PlayTranslate relies on capturing game screen content via OCR to extract text. It then utilizes either on-device ML Kit for offline translation or an online service like Lingva, with an option to integrate a DeepL API key for enhanced translation quality. Advanced features include an auto-translation mode that continuously monitors dialogue changes, a floating lens for instant word lookups, and support for reading hints like Furigana or Pinyin. The architecture also supports on-device Large Language Model (LLM) inference via llama.cpp for potentially more sophisticated offline translation.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install: Download the latest release APK from the project's releases page.
• Prerequisites: An Android device. Users must enable "Install unknown apps" for their file manager or browser. Specific Android OEMs may require enabling "Allow restricted settings" for the app to grant accessibility permissions.
• Optional dependencies: A DeepL API key for higher quality translations, and AnkiDroid for flashcard export.
• Links: Discord server for support and requests.

Highlighted Details

• Supports OCR for 21 game languages and translation into 59 user languages.
• Features include one-tap translation, auto-translation mode, word lookup, and Furigana/Pinyin display.
• Customization options include capture regions, hotkey hold-to-preview, and Anki export presets.
• Works on dual-screen devices and in Android split-screen mode.
• Offers offline OCR and translation, with optional downloadable on-device LLM models (Gemma, Qwen).

Maintenance & Community

Support, issue reporting, and feature requests are primarily handled through the project's Discord server. Users can also support the project via Ko-fi.

Licensing & Compatibility

The project is licensed under GPL 3.0. This is a strong copyleft license, meaning derivative works must also be licensed under GPL 3.0.

Limitations & Caveats

Installation may be blocked by Google Play Protect, requiring temporary disabling of the scanner. Some Android versions or OEMs may restrict accessibility permission grants, necessitating a workaround to enable the feature. The app requires specific permissions to function correctly.