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

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.

I want to take advantage of wider displays

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.

In other words, the Android 17 feature I was most looking forward to isn’t here, and I don’t know for sure when it’ll finally arrive.

Folding phones need to add value

I love the additional productivity and multitasking possibilities with folding phones, but the value still isn’t there. These devices are expensive, often costing $1,000 more than a traditional flagship. Why do I need to spend all that extra money if the user experience is roughly the same?

Leaning into gaming gives people another reason to pay up. I’m not much of a mobile gamer, but I’m legitimately excited to give these new features a chance when they are released. Smartphones pack way more power than we currently need, so if we can get some more impressive mobile titles that take advantage of larger form factors with improved controls, I’m all for it.

You may joke that the Tensor G5 isn’t fit for gaming, but the reality is it’s perfectly capable, especially if Google does a solid job optimizing GPU performance with its move to Vulkan architecture. If Google can somehow change the perception that Pixels aren’t for gamers, it’ll entice another segment of buyers. Instead of carrying around a laptop, smartphone, and gaming system, Google (and later others with Android 17) can advertise foldables as a one-stop shop. Sure, they’ll still be expensive, but at least there is a chance they’ll make sense.

Android 17 will help foldables in other ways

I love that Google is finally forcing developers to scale their apps properly for larger factors. The company tried when the original Pixel Fold was released; Google enticed developers with preferential Play Store treatment if they scaled their apps, but the offer didn’t catch on widely. Google isn’t giving companies the option this time, and I couldn’t be happier.

Book-style foldables have hung around for longer than I expected. Clamshell devices are the clear sales winners, as evidenced by Motorola’s Razr lineup. A lower price helps, but their appeal also lies in functionality. They are stylish, easy to carry around, and work just like your traditional smartphone when unfolded. Book-style foldables need a spark, and I’m hoping Android 17 will provide it. It’s never going to be easy to shell out close to $2,000 for a smartphone, but if you’re providing a really stellar app experience, bolstered by better multitasking and gaming than you can get on other phones, at least you have a shot.

Google just needs to follow through

I’ve seen this film before from Google — exciting new features that sound great, but either never see the light of day or are pulled quickly. Daily Hub was supposed to anchor my Gemini experience on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, but it never made it out of beta. Its replacement, Daily Brief, is lackluster at best.

And then there is Google’s odd Android rollout schedule. I’m sure Android 17 will come to your Tensor-powered Pixel soon, and I’m fairly confident the company’s gaming upgrades will arrive in time — as long as the hamster running the wheel that powers Google’s update servers doesn’t quit.