Foldables combine the extra-large displays of a tablet with something a little more pocket-friendly, especially on modern ultra-thin devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. But for all the potential that arrives with that big screen, it can sometimes be difficult to find software that perfectly scales for those square displays. Thankfully, with Android 17, gaming on foldables is getting a huge boost with a new set of virtual controls.
Android 17 will bring an all-new 50/50 display layout to your library of mobile games, delivering emulator-esque virtual controls to players in the coming months. With this new layout, you’ll be able to view your gameplay on the top portion of your folding phone’s screen, while the entire second half is taken up by dedicated virtual buttons and joysticks creating a “dynamic” gamepad. Google also says external controller users can rely on native remapping instead, and that Android 17 brings improved performance and reduced frame drops during “high-def gaming.”
This has been a long time coming. Gaming was one of the earliest things I tried when first testing out a foldable back in the days of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and while some titles can be a little disappointing in their overall presentation — I wish Balatro looked more at home on a 1:1 display — anything with virtual controls that took up a large portion of the display worked great. Anyone who’s installed an emulator on their foldable will tell you it’s the best experience you’ll find that doesn’t involve an actual, physical controller. With this change, we can look forward to that feeling extending to all sorts of titles readily available on the Play Store.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite ready for today’s launch, as Google says this foldable gamepad UI will roll out in the “coming months.”
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