The beta 3 of Android 12 finally brings the expected native game mode of the system: said mode, denominated in Castilian like “Board of game”It offers everything from performance tweaks to features like do not disturb while playing; or the FPS of the title while it is playing on screen. We tested it.
Most of the Android manufacturers, at least those with a custom layer, built in a system of improvement in games with which users could not only customize their games, also stream the game directly or select applications that may interrupt it. Until now, Android did not offer anything similar natively, but everything changes with the “Game Panel” introduced in the betas of Android 12. According to our tests, the new mode will significantly improve the games.
Game mode is active, but apps are not yet fully supported
With the latest beta of Android 12, number three, Google has activated the game mode when it was already anticipated before. For this mode to work, the user must activate it manually and that the developer includes the API in his application which allows performance tuning
According to Google, for applications to access the full potential of the game mode These must include the API developed for this purpose
To activate the “Game Panel” of Android 12 you obviously need beta 3 of this operating system. If you have it, you just need to do the following:
- Open your mobile settings.
- Look for “game” in the search engine at the top of the menu.
- You will see the “Game Settings” setting appear. Click here.
- Activate “Game Panel” for this mode to work with the applications concerned. If you want, you can turn on “Do not disturb while playing” if you don’t want to worry about distractions.
With the above process, the games mode It will now be available in all installed applications that Android detects as games. During its execution, a small balloon is hidden on the side of the screen which, when pressed, projects the launcher with all the settings of the “Game Panel”.
Access to the “Game Panel” is hidden from the sides of the screen when an application classified as a game is running. You have to unfold the bubble and click on it
New mode allows direct streaming to YouTube Live, offers shortcuts for screenshot and recording, allows you to enable “Do Not Disturb”, view game FPS and change phone status in three modes: high performance (performance), normal (standard) and economizer (battery). This latest tweak will be extended to games as the developers use the new Android 12 API.
Great functionality with plenty of room for improvement
It is very difficult to display the bubble in the games panel if gesture navigation is enabled
We tested the “Game Panel” with several titles from our Google Pixel 4a and none had yet activated the performance manager. It is also difficult to display the settings bubble: it hides to the side and doesn’t always pop out when you slide your finger along the edge of the screen
Knowing the FPS of games without having to install applications seems very positive to us, also having the most common controls during games a few keystrokes away. Being able to stream directly to YouTube will appeal to many, although Google should include other options, such as Twitch.
Game panel horizontally with all shortcuts activated in the bubble
Android 12’s gaming mode is still far from that of brands like Samsung, OnePlus or Xiaomi; and at an abysmal distance from the settings offered by gaming mobiles, such as the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 or the Asus ROG Phone 5, for example. It is still the germ of what Google can do in one of the areas that has evolved the most within smartphones, that of video games.
With more and more powerful hardware, that there are parameters capable of obtaining all this power, and that they are included natively in Android, will allow any android user to enjoy full gaming experience. Now all that’s left is for developers to include the new “Game Mode API” in their apps.
