Android 17’s foldable gaming mode boosts flippy phone fun
▼ Summary
– Android 17 will introduce a dedicated gaming mode for foldables that places a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half the screen.
– The virtual controller emulates physical button presses at a system level and works with any game that supports physical controllers.
– The gamepad includes a D-pad, virtual sticks, A/B/X/Y buttons, shoulder buttons, and a start button, with options to adjust layout, button size, and haptics.
– The mode activates automatically when unfolding a device before or after launching a compatible game, and can be hidden or replaced by a physical controller.
– Google aims to bridge the gap between touch and physical controls, offering a convenient solution for games better suited to gamepads without carrying extra accessories.
Android 17 is bringing a new foldable gaming mode that turns half your screen into a virtual gamepad, making it much easier to play games on flippy phones without needing extra hardware. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, emulates physical button presses at the system level and works with any game that supports physical controllers, according to Google’s Mishaal Rahman on Reddit.
The on-screen controller includes a full set of inputs: a D-pad, left and right virtual sticks, A/B/X/Y buttons, L1/L2/L3, R1/R2/R3, and a start button. Users can customize the layout by keeping the joysticks inline or staggered, adjusting button sizes, and toggling haptics on or off.
Activating the mode is straightforward. “It’s as simple as unfolding your device, either before or after launching a compatible game,” Rahman explains. Players can also hide the gamepad if needed, and connecting a physical controller automatically disables the virtual one.
Rahman notes that while touch controls work well for many titles, certain games are simply better with a physical gamepad. “The problem is that carrying a Bluetooth controller or a snap-on gamepad with you everywhere isn’t always convenient,” he says. “We want to bridge that gap, and we’re addressing it with a new feature in the Android 17 platform release that’s specifically tailored for foldable devices.”
(Source: The Verge)
