Android 17 introduces a dedicated gaming mode for foldable phones that provides a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half the screen, emulating physical controller inputs to work with any game that supports controllers. This feature aims to bridge the gap between touch and physical controls without needing a separate controller.
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Android 17 is getting a dedicated gaming mode for foldables that will put a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half of your screen to theoretically make it easier to play games.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With foldable gaming mode, which is 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," <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidGaming/comments/1ufg6ap/sneak_peek_at_foldable_gaming_mode_in_android_17/">says Google's Mishaal Rahman on Reddit</a>. For the actual inputs, 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 …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/957450/android-17-foldable-gaming-mode-virtual-controller">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# Android 17’s new foldable gaming mode could make flippy phones more fun
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/957450/android-17-foldable-gaming-mode-virtual-controller](https://www.theverge.com/tech/957450/android-17-foldable-gaming-mode-virtual-controller)
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Jay Peters
is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more\. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme\.
Android 17 is getting a dedicated gaming mode for foldables that will put a virtual gamepad with touch controls on half of your screen to theoretically make it easier to play games\.
With foldable gaming mode, which is 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,”[says Google’s Mishaal Rahman on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidGaming/comments/1ufg6ap/sneak_peek_at_foldable_gaming_mode_in_android_17/)\. For the actual inputs, 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 several ways, such as keeping the virtual joysticks inline or staggered from each other, scaling the size of the buttons, and toggling haptics on or off\.
[](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-25-at-3.28.00-PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100)
Turning on the mode “is as simple as unfolding 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 variety of games on the go,” says Rahman\. “While touch controls work incredibly well for many titles, certain games are better enjoyed with physical gamepads\. The problem is that carrying a Bluetooth controller or a snap\-on gamepad with you everywhere isn’t always convenient\. We want to bridge that gap, and we’re addressing it with a new feature in the Android 17 platform release that’s specifically tailored for foldable devices\.”
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- Jay Peters
Google begins rolling out Android 17 to Pixel phones and watches, introducing features like multitasking bubbles, foldable gaming mode (coming later), and native screen reaction video support.
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