Android 17 is getting a dedicated gaming mode for foldables that will theoretically put a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half of your screen to make playing games easier.
Along with the foldable gaming mode, which is set to launch in the coming months, the virtual controller simulates physical button presses at the system level and is designed to work “with any game that supports physical controllers,” says Google’s Mishaal Rahman on Reddit. For actual input, the virtual controller will have a D-pad; left and right virtual sticks; A, B, X, and Y buttons; L1, L2, L3; R1, R2, and R3; And a start button. And you’ll be able to configure the gamepad in a number of ways, like keeping the virtual joysticks inline or staggered with each other, scaling the size of the buttons, and turning haptics on or off.
“Turning on the mode is as easy as opening your device, either before or after launching a compatible game,” says Rahman. You can also choose to hide the gamepad, and if you connect a physical controller, the virtual gamepad will automatically turn off.
“Android lets you play a variety of games on the go,” says Rahman. “While touch controls work incredibly well for many titles, some games are better enjoyed with a physical gamepad. The problem is that it’s not always convenient to take a Bluetooth controller or snap-on gamepad with you everywhere. We want to bridge that gap, and we’re addressing it with a new feature in the Android 17 platform release that’s tailored specifically for foldable devices.”
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