While iOS has caught up in recent years, Android is still the most versatile OS when it comes to smartphone gaming—especially if you’re looking beyond downloading games from app stores. Android supports a large number of emulatorsAs well as game controllers and game pads. If you want to play a game, there’s a good chance you can run it on Android.
And yet, the OS lacks something that many other modern gaming platforms do: native controller remapping. The idea is, you get to choose what to do with the buttons on your controller. If you prefer your down button to have the same effect as the L1 button or the D-pad to have the same inputs as the right stick, you can. While individual Android games may offer these options, they don’t apply across the OS, leading to some inconsistent gameplay situations.
Google is testing controller remapping with Android 17 beta
As it turns out, Android 17 will introduce system-wide controller remapping options — assuming it makes it out of beta. Former tech journalism turned Google employee Mishal Rahman shared the news in a post on r/AndroidGamingAcknowledging repeated requests from the Android gaming community for controller remapping, the company confirmed that it is testing the feature in Android 17 beta. Rahman says Google is interested in two key issues here: accessibility, so more players can remap buttons to suit their physical needs; And reduces problems with muscle memory when switching between sports.
Those two points are really huge for gamers. Jumping between games with different button layouts can be frustrating, and mistakes can happen simply because you’re used to the previous game’s layout. But, more importantly, controller remapping makes gaming more accessible to players who may not be able to play with the game’s default layout or control scheme. While some games support it and others don’t, it makes gaming on Android unbalanced. Now, assuming Android 17 does indeed launch this feature, gaming on phones like the Pixel and Galaxy will be more accessible to everyone.
How to try controller remapping on Android 17
These tools are currently live in the latest Android 17 beta (Beta 2). If you can try it now Enroll your eligible device in the Android beta-Just be warned that installing beta software on your device may cause bugs, instability or data loss. I would recommend doing a full backup of any important data before installing the beta.
What do you think so far?
With the latest Android 17 beta running on your device, you have two choices depending on whether you’re using a wired or Bluetooth controller:
-
Wired controllers: Head to Settings > System > Game Controller And select your controller from the list.
-
Bluetooth controllers: Head to Settings > Connected devices Then select the menu icon next to your controller. From here, go to Device details Select “Game Controller” Settings after the page.
Either way, you’ll see a list of all the buttons and inputs on your controller. Tap one to make any available adjustments. Rahman cautions that the glyphs — the icons that appear next to each button or input — may not be accurate as of this beta.
