Android 12 DP2: ‘Game dashboard’ to add quick access to recording, YouTube streaming, more

Kyle Bradshaw | Mar 17 2021 - 1:23 pm PT

Google is working on a “game dashboard” for Android 12 — perhaps exclusive to Pixel phones — that adds useful controls and info like a frames-per-second counter, easy capture options, and a YouTube streaming shortcut.

Our team has managed to enable a special “game dashboard” hidden away inside the second Android 12 Developer Preview. For now, it’s a straightforward menu with a few quick settings toggles and two large squares that seem to be meant for taking a specific action.

The Android 12 game dashboard quick settings seem to be meant to give gamers easy access to screenshot and recording options, a Do Not Disturb toggle, and a frames-per-second option. Unlike the others, this frames-per-second toggle is not something that Android normally offers without a third-party app, but is a commonly used feature for hardcore gamers especially on PC.

Meanwhile, the two large squares in the game dashboard seem to be for easy access to features that gamers may want or need. While the left square is currently blank, the right square offers quick access to livestreaming your mobile gameplay to YouTube. For now, tapping this option in the Android 12 game dashboard simply opens the YouTube app directly into creating a new mobile livestream. It remains to be seen whether Google intends for YouTube livestreaming to be more deeply integrated into Android 12.

One thing to note is that the code for this Android 12 game dashboard is filed under “com.google.android.systemui” as opposed to the usual “com.android.systemui”, which we believe could indicate that this is meant to be exclusive to Google’s Pixel phones. That said, Google’s Pixel phones are not exactly marketed as the best Android devices for gaming, with the Pixel 5 even opting for a lesser Qualcomm chip rather than a flagship one, which would be better for games.

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.