TL;DR: The Android 17 platform launch provides help for foldable gaming mode, a function that splits your foldable's display screen 50/50, placing the sport on the highest half and a customizable digital gamepad on the underside half. It emulates a bodily controller, is designed to work routinely with controller-supported video games, and might be out there within the coming months.

Hello r/AndroidGaming,

Android means that you can play all kinds of video games on the go. Whereas contact controls work extremely effectively for a lot of titles, sure video games are higher loved with bodily gamepads. The issue is that carrying a Bluetooth controller or a snap-on gamepad with you all over the place isn't all the time handy. We need to bridge that hole, and we're addressing it with a brand new function within the Android 17 platform launch that’s particularly tailor-made for foldable gadgets.

Foldable gaming mode addresses this by making full use of your foldable's display screen actual property. When enabled, foldable gaming mode splits your display screen 50/50. You get a full, unobstructed sport view on the highest half of your display screen and a devoted digital gamepad on the underside half. Enabling it is so simple as unfolding your system, both earlier than or after launching a appropriate sport.

How foldable gaming mode works

We wished to make this expertise as seamless as potential for each gamers and sport builders. Foldable gaming mode creates a digital gamepad that emulates bodily button presses on the system stage. This implies it’s designed to work with any sport that helps bodily controllers. Whereas sport builders don’t have to make any adjustments to help the digital gamepad’s emulated button presses, their video games do have to be adaptive with a purpose to be put within the 50/50 structure when the system is unfolded.

Supported inputs

The digital gamepad presently contains every thing you'd count on from a typical controller:

D-pad Left and Proper Thumbsticks A, B, X, Y motion buttons L1, L2, L3 R1, R2, R3 Begin button

Customizing the digital gamepad

We all know everybody holds their telephone in another way and performs completely different genres, so we’ve added just a few methods to customise the digital gamepad. These embrace:

Layouts: Change from the default "Twin stick, Inline" structure to a "Twin stick, Staggered" structure, which shifts the left thumbstick, D-pad, and shoulder buttons.

Sizing: Scale the gamepad from the default "Medium" to "Small" or "Massive" relying in your hand measurement.

Theming: Toggle between "Gentle" and "Darkish" themes for the gamepad.

Haptics: A fast toggle to show haptic suggestions on or off in your button presses.

You’ll be able to entry these customization choices by tapping the sport controller icon on the digital gamepad.

Enabling or disabling the digital gamepad

Android provides you management over when the digital gamepad reveals up. You’ll be able to disguise the gamepad whereas gaming utilizing the "Cover Gamepad" button within the built-in menu, or disguise it earlier than launching a sport by way of the "digital gamepad" setting in Android Settings.

For those who join a bodily gamepad by way of Bluetooth or USB, the digital gamepad is designed to routinely disable itself. Additionally it is designed to remain hidden whenever you launch touch-only video games, so you’ll be able to benefit from the supposed expertise on the big, unfolded display screen.

When is foldable gaming mode coming?

Foldable gaming mode is a part of the Android 17 platform launch and might be out there within the coming months. We’re extremely excited so that you can strive it out as soon as it’s out there, however we wished to present this group a sneak peek early on to listen to your suggestions.

As a result of foldable gaming mode is a platform function, its supply code is offered in AOSP. This implies system makers can take this function and tailor it for his or her particular {hardware}.

Tell us what you consider foldable gaming mode and what video games you're excited to play with this!