Google Play store has added a new page for games that are “optimized” for the Pixel 6 series devices. Titled “Optimized for Pixel 6,” the newly added page lists games that support Android 12’s Game Mode API. As per a tweet from Mishaal Rahman, some Pixel 6 users are seeing an “Optimized for Pixel 6” carousel at the top of the Games tab in the Play Store. Tapping the section opens the list of games that utilize the Game Mode API for better performance on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Android 12 introduces Game Dashboard on the Pixel 6 series, and as of now, only the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro support the game dashboard. It provides useful tools to Pixel 6 users while playing a game to boost its performance and conserve battery. Google has been encouraging developers to take advantage of the Game Mode API and support it to let users set whether they want a game title to prioritize gameplay for longer battery life or peak frame rates.
Android 12 Game Dashboard and How to Enable It
Android 12’s game dashboard is currently exclusive to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. So if you’re a Pixel 6 owner, you can enable it by going to Settings » Apps » (under General) Game settings. It will allow you to access the game dashboard by tapping a floating bubble when you open a compatible title. The game dashboard shows several shortcuts like screen capture, record, FPS counter, and DND. And below these shortcuts, there are two tiles for “Optimization” and “YouTube Live” streaming.
In Optimization, the game dashboard provides three modes — Performance, Standard, and Battery Saver. The performance mode maximizes the frame rate of the gameplay, Standard uses the game’s defaults, and the Battery Saver mode extends battery life. As aforesaid, the game dashboard is only available on the Pixel 6 phones, and it does not appear on other Pixel devices running Android 12.
However, as per the information disclosed in the tweet, there is a method to enable Android 12’s Game Dashboard on other Pixel phones. According to the tweet, you can enable it by declaring the “http://com.google.android.feature.GAME_OVERLAY” feature. All you need to do is add this code snippet to an XML file, call it “game_overlay,” and push it to /product/etc/sysconfig.
