Android 17 is rolling out, but it’s missing the one feature I was really looking forward to

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Android 17 is rolling out to Tensor-powered Pixels, but Google isn’t shipping every new feature it’s announced right away. The company’s latest software update includes long-awaited improvements to multitasking, and while I’m excited to try app bubbles for myself, it’s not the new feature I was most looking forward to.

Google has made gaming a rare focus on Android 17. I’m sure the company is tired of the narrative that Pixels aren’t for gaming, and, along with GPU optimizations, it hopes its foldables will be attractive phones for mobile gamers. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait a bit longer.

I love what Google has planned for Android 17 on my Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but improved gaming will have to wait.

Google actually has a couple of features in the works that will make gaming a more enjoyable experience on its folding phones. For starters, Android 17 will be able to scale games to fit the display. Nothing is more frustrating than firing up your favorite game only to realize the developer hasn’t made it compatible with larger form factors. App scaling is a huge theme for Google this year, especially with desktop mode support and with Googlebooks on the horizon.

Google is also beefing up controller support with Android 17 , allowing you to partially fold your phone and use one half as a controller — recreating the world’s most expensive Nintendo 3DS. It’s more impressive than it sounds.

In addition to standard on-screen controls you’d normally find in games, Android 17 will allow you to simulate a physical controller and map buttons accordingly. It’ll be a fantastic option for previously unsupported titles, or games you could only play properly with an external controller connected. I’m all for turning foldable phones into mobile gaming hubs, as it helps solve one of my biggest problems with expensive folding phones.

On paper, Google’s foldable gaming updates sound incredible. The only problem is that we don’t really know when we’ll get our hands on them. Google has said its gaming improvements will roll out “in the coming months,” but that’s as specific a release date as we’ve been given. Knowing Google, it’ll be longer, not sooner, before this stuff is ready for showtime.