Android 17’s new foldable gaming mode could make foldable phones more fun

Android 17 is getting a dedicated Game Mode for foldable devices that will place a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half of your screen to theoretically make gaming easier.

With a foldable gaming mode, set to launch in the coming months, the virtual controller emulates physical button presses at a system level and is designed to work “with any game that supports physical controllers.” Google’s Mishal Rahman says on Reddit. For physical inputs, the virtual console will have a D-pad; Left and right virtual sticks; A, B, X, and Y buttons; L1, L2, L3; R1, R2, R3; And the start button. You’ll be able to configure the gamepad in several ways, such as keeping the virtual joysticks inline or overlapping each other, changing the size of the buttons, and toggling touch on or off.

Turning on the mode “is as simple as unlocking your device, either before or after launching a compatible game,” Rahman says. You can also choose to hide the gamepad, and if you connect a physical controller, the virtual gamepad will turn off on its own.

“Android allows you to play a wide range of games on the go,” Rahman says. “Although touch controls work very well for many games, certain games are better enjoyed using physical gamepads. The problem is that carrying a Bluetooth controller or an extra gamepad with you everywhere is not always convenient. We want to close this gap, and we are addressing it with a new feature in Android 17 designed specifically for foldable devices.”