Gaming on the Android platform couldn’t improve, and the credit goes to the Game Dashboard. Introduced with Android 12, Game Dashboard can take mobile gaming to a new level.
Well, the Game Dashboard is an overlay that will enhance your gaming experience by capturing the current gameplay, tracking FPS, going live on YouTube, etc.
How to enable and use Game Dashboard on your Android smartphone? As a beginner to Android gaming, you find every detail of the Game Dashboard and how to activate and use it. Let’s get started.
A Quick Overview of Android Game Dashboard
Before you learn how to enable and use Game Dashboard on your Android 12 or later device, let’s learn more about the overlay. According to Android Developers’ official site, the Game Dashboard is an overlay appearing on top of an ongoing game.
The overlay consists of the following significant features to enrich your overall Android gaming experience:
- Screenshots and screen recording options
- A live FPS counter
- Game Mode to prioritize Battery Life or Performance
- Do Not Disturb mode
- YouTube Live option and more
Method to Enable the Android Game Dashboard
Android users have to activate the Game Dashboard option from Settings. The dashboard will only appear when you launch or play a game on your Android device. How to enable the Game Dashboard on your Android phone?
Here’s how you can activate the Game Dashboard for your Android 12 or later version:
- Navigate to your Android smartphone’s Settings application and tap on it.
- Once Settings opens, tap the Search bar to look for the Game Dashboard overlay. Tap on Geme Dashboard from the result.
- Otherwise, go to Apps after you open up Settings.
- After that, select Game Settings.
- Tap the Game Dashboard toggle to turn it on.
Now, you can bring the Game Dashboard into action after opening a game and tapping the floating gamepad icon. If you keep the Game Dashboard option enabled, the floating gamepad icon will appear. So, you can turn it off by following the above method if you no longer require it.
Note that Google’s Pixel smartphones will surely have this feature. The device must run on Android 12 or higher versions for other Android smartphones.
6 Incredible Ways to Use the Game Dashboard on Android Devices
How to enable and use the Game Dashboard on Android phones? So far, you have witnessed how to turn the Game Dashboard on your smartphone. How can you use the Game Dashboard? Since Android Developers have designed the dashboard for numerous gaming-related tasks, here’s how you can use them:
1. Take a Screenshot of Your Gameplay
Android has been offering handy screenshot controls for years now. However, Android decided to include a screenshot feature in the Game Dashboard. Let’s check out how you can capture a screenshot through the overlay:
- Tap on the gamepad icon to open the Dashboard.
- After that, locate the Screenshot icon, which should be at the top row and in the left corner.
- Tap on the Screenshot icon, and you have successfully captured a screenshot.
Finally, you can close the Dashboard.
2. Record Your Screen in Real Time
Screen recording is another feasible option found in the Game Dashboard Android 12. Go through the following instructions to record your Android smartphone’s screen while gaming:
- Explore the Game Dashboard.
- Directly tap on the Screen Recording icon. The icon must be the second from the left in the top row.
Now, close the Dashboard and tap on the same in-game button for screen recording. Moreover, you can also choose whether you want to include any audio sources to record. On the other hand, you can even record your in-game taps and moves with the dedicated option. At last, tap the Start button to record your gameplay.
3. Enable Do Not Disturb Mode
Be it a race, action-adventure, or shooter game, and nobody likes minimum distraction or disturbance. A sudden call or text can distract you from your strategy, and the Game Dashboard understands this better than anyone. That’s why the overlay brings you an easy-to-access Do Not Disturb button.
Open the Dashboard and tap the Do Not Disturb icon to enable the mode. On a related note, the Do Not Disturb button resembles a minus symbol within a circle.
4. Turn on the FPS Counter
Is your Android phone performing up to the mark or as expected? The Game Dashboard Android 12 addition makes it reliable to check the facts as it comes up with an FPS counter. Games must run at least 30 FPS for a seamless experience.
The higher the FPS count is, the better visuals you can expect from the device and the gameplay. Moreover, the Android platform lacked an integrated FPS counter until the release of the Game Dashboard.
Now, you can enable the FPS counter from the Dashboard and take a look at the current FPS. So, open up the Game Dashboard and tap on the FPS button. You can then check the current FPS value and change the settings if the FPS is too low.
5. Go Live on YouTube
Do you like to live stream your gameplay on your YouTube channel? Then, the Game Dashboard Android 12 add-on is the best setting for you. Here’s how you can go live on YouTube and interact with your audience:
- Open the Dashboard and choose YouTube Live.
- Next, adjust the live stream settings according to your preferences.
- Tap on Next and go through the guidelines before going live on YouTube.
6. Optimise Your Gaming Instances
Not all Android phones are built the same. So, you can’t expect the same performance from every Android smartphone, and it’s true for gaming as well. Fortunately, the Game Dashboard has a ‘Game Opimisation’ feature to eliminate low-performance issues.
However, the Game Optimisation option is unavailable for every game or Android phone. You will see the feature greyed out on the dashboard if the game or device doesn’t support it.
If available, you can tap on the Game Optimisation option from the Dashboard when you feel that the game performance is struggling with your device specs. Additionally, you can select the required mode to optimize your gaming experience.
Typically, the following 3 modes are available to choose from:
- Standard
- Performance
- Battery Saver
The Standard mode keeps the battery drain and frame rate as usual without overclocking the device. In contrast, the Performance mode doesn’t care about the battery but a higher frame rate by overclocking the processors. On the other hand, the Battery Saver mode will slow the battery drain and drop the frame rate.
Signing Off…
Undoubtedly, the Game Dashboard Android 12 is a great addition to regular Android devices you can use as a gaming station. However, you can’t use the Game Dashboard if your phone can’t upgrade to Android 12. Otherwise, you can check it out and take your chances on gaming enhancements. Google may add more features to the Dashboard soon.
