Android 17’s mobile gaming plans for foldables were briefly covered in a larger announcement about the latest version of the OS on June 16, but there’s a much fuller picture now that Android Community Engagement Manager Mishaal Rahman has taken to Reddit to show off just how it will work.
In a post headlined, “Sneak peek at foldable gaming mode in Android 17!” in the Android Gaming subreddit, Rahman posted extensive details and images.
Putting the foldable screen to work (and play)
In the initial announcement, Google said, “Foldable devices now feature an optimized 50/50 layout with a game view on top and a dynamic gamepad below to maximize the view and button-mashing spaces.”
The images show just how well a foldable screen is suited to turning a phone into something that will play upon the nostalgia of anyone who had a Nintendo DS.
The top half of the screen is devoted to gameplay and the bottom half is transformed into a virtual gamepad. Any game that supports physical controllers will work on an Android 17 foldable.
One of the biggest issues with mobile gaming is making it comfortable. We’re already all clutching phones and mice daily, so hand cramping while gaming on a small device is almost an inevitability.
Google is addressing this within Android 17 by enabling phone manufacturers to adjust gamepads to screen specs.
In the post, Rahman said that the gamepad can handle what you’d expect in a standard controller:
- D-pad
- Left and Right Thumbsticks
- A, B, X, Y action buttons
- L1, L2, L3
- R1, R2, R3
- Start button
The gamepad is customizable. There are two layouts. The default is “Twin stick, Inline,” but there’s also a “Twin stick, Staggered” layout, which shifts the left thumbstick, D-pad, and shoulder buttons. The size of the gamepad itself can be changed to make it small, medium, or large and there are light and dark themes. Haptic feedback for button presses can be turned on or off.
Putting the gamepad aside
The gamepad itself is optional. It knows to stay hidden when you play touch-only games and you can also choose to hide it yourself in a menu.
Gamers can also use external controllers. Android supports several of them, including the GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro, which Android Police writer Jon Gilbert ranks as the best overall.
When one is connected either with Bluetooth or USB, the virtual gamepad is automatically disabled.
Coming soon
As part of the final release of Android 17, these foldable gaming features will be released in the next few months.
