Android 17 introduced a Gaming Mode specifically for foldable phones a few weeks ago. Since it was still new, not much information was shared publicly. Over the weekend, the official interface and variations offered by Android 17 were shared on Reddit.
Foldable Gaming Mode on foldable screen devices divides the screen into two. The top part is used to display video games while the bottom part displays all the necessary control buttons. It is an evolution of the YouTube viewing interface on previous foldable screen devices.
Two variations of the virtual keyboard layout are provided, namely Twin Stick Inline and Twin Stick Staggered. Inline places two analog sticks in the middle like a PlayStation controller while Staggered places two analog sticks like an Xbox controller. This configuration was chosen because they are the two most popular controller button layouts on the market.
There are 19 buttons in total consisting of 4 face buttons (A, B, X, Y), 4 D-pad buttons, 4 shoulder buttons (L1, L2, R1, R2), L3, R3, menu button, controller settings button and Home button.
Both are then given 3 button size options (small, medium and large) and in dark and light mode options. Based on the screenshot, the option to change the location of the buttons is not given at this time. All of these options can be accessed via the button with the controller icon displayed.
The Foldable Gaming Mode feature is still being tested in Beta stage with it being offered to Android 17 foldable devices in just a few months, most likely starting with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 series next month before going to the Google Pixel 11 Fold in September.
