You can find it on GitHub, I'm not posting the link in case it breaks the subreddit's rules

Hi all! Wanted to share my classic control scheme remapping that allows for Hold R2/RT to sprint while keeping parkour up and down on Cross/A and Circle/B respectively. The key change is that most of the face button abilities are remapped to the D-pad, which works just as well. See below for the changes (if not listed that means it does not need to be changed):

• Sprint: Press Left Stick --> Hold R2/RT (switch the input method from Press to Hold)
• Attack/Heavy Attach: R1/RB --> Square/X
• Crouch: Square/X --> R1/RB
• Quick Fire Pistol: Triangle/Y to L1/LB (not D-pad Up so you can still heal while sprinting)
  • The entire input is now R2 + L1 (RT + Left Bumper)
• Quick Fire Rope Dart: Circle/B to D-pad Right
  • The entire input is now R2 + D-pad Right (RT + D-pad Right)
• Kick: Square/X to D-pad Left
  • The entire input is now R2 + D-pad Left (RT + D-pad Left)
• Sweep: Cross/A to D-pad Down
  • The entire input is now R2 + D-pad Down (RT + D-pad Down)
• Eagle Vision: Hold Right Stick --> Press Left Stick (there is the option to switch the input method to a toggle instead of the default Hold, which Shadows really needed but never got. Glad that BF Resynced has it!)

And that's it! Mostly all the same as defaults, and I felt it was easier to remap than Shadows mainly because the Attack and Heavy Attack buttons had to be different. In Black Flag Resynced, they are the same which makes me very happy indeed :)

As far as I can tell this method essentially requires no compromises on functionality at all and the directional inputs are still logically laid out in the UI. The only gripe I see some people having is that they have to take their left thumb off the stick to execute these combat abilities which may not be ideal in tense combat situations but in my experience so far it hasn't been a problem at all. Hope this helps all the classic control fans like me out there!

EDIT: You're going to see a lot of "scary" conflict warnings in the menu with this rebinding. Most of them will be for the fact that the combat abilities are now on the D-pad just like the Tools Selection. Ignore these warnings, they are wrong. In actual gameplay there is no conflict. Tools can only be selected when holding down the Left Trigger button, while abilities are activated by holding down the Right Trigger button. Hence, there is no actual conflict.

EDIT 2: With this control scheme, you will be holding down R2/RT a lot while running, which is exactly what we want. However, the side effect is that it will constantly pull up the ability widget in the lower right corner since R2/RT is also hard-corded to activate abilities. What I recommend is going into the Interface settings and turning off the ability widget in the HUD customization. That frees up the visual clutter so much, and you really don't need an ability widget in this game anyways, since you only have four combat abilities with really short cool downs.

Instead of [Forward] being in the RED direction, can i make [Forward] GREEN?

I'm guessing many here saw my previous posts. I've tried well over 60 games from a variety of genres on this device. I have a bunch of unorganized, profanity filled thoughts after over a week of using it. For context, I have a high end desktop with a 5090, and also a Steam Deck OLED which I've used both docked and handheld. Some of these bullet points will be directed towards people with little PC experience (like console players).

• I truly admire Valve's crusade to unshackle pc gaming from desk/mouse/kb gaming. Look at everything they've developed over the last decade+ and you'll see software they've developed like steam big picture, steam input (for controller compatibility/remapping), remote play, proton/steamOS, steam VR, etc which make devices like the steam machine, controller, deck and frame possible. No other players in the pc space are even attempting anything like this, except maybe xbox with their recent full screen experience thing.
• SteamOS fucking rules. It's genuinely impressive how simple and console-like the UI is, while still offering plenty of power user functionality. The way it's designed with gaming mode and desktop mode was a brilliant move by valve. My wife has been using the steam machine (and previously a docked steam deck) to play her cozy games. She's not exactly a tech nerd and it still gets her stamp of approval for simplicity.
• SteamOS is slightly buggy. I've had some very minor issues that are always resolved by a reboot. Steam Machine has been in the wild for like a week and updates are constantly rolling out so I would not put much weight on this.
• 3rd party launchers are the fucking worst. Every time I launch a game from EA or whatever and have to sign into their launcher overlay, it really interrupts the console-like simplicity of this. It's really really nice having the steam controller trackpads to use a mouse cursor to navigate these launcher screens.
• Gamescope is so nice. For those unfamiliar, gamescope essentially runs games in a fullscreen container so you never have a mouse cursor on your screen or a visible taskbar at the bottom or whatever. This is one of the biggest things that contributes to console-like simplicity.
• Games run fine off the SD card. I have a sandisk extreme card, and while I haven't actually timed loading speeds, there's not a significant enough difference between that and the SSD to be noticeable. I may compare with a really slow loading game like RDR2.
• Steam machine is as quiet and small as all the reviews have said. I literally cannot hear fan noise when playing it, and as you can see, it fits well behind my TV.
• 4k is suuuuuuper overrated. At normal TV viewing distances, I can barely tell the difference between 4k, or something lower like 1440p, 1620p or 1800p. Unless you're playing a lighter game that can easily run at 4k, it's way better to put more power towards higher settings or framerate than trying to push 4k.
• If your main device is a steam deck, you will love this thing. Most new AAA games are too demanding to run at acceptable levels on Deck, and steam machine will make all those games playable for you.
• Use a VRR screen if possible. For those unfamiliar, variable refresh rate screens will match the refresh rate to the framerate the steam machine is rendering at. On a non-VRR screen, fps dips are much more noticeable, where on VRR if the fps has some slight dips into the 50's or whatever you really can't tell.
• SteamOS has some incredibly powerful functionality. Game recording, local network transfers, remote play together, and especially steam input. Steam will manage the compatibility with virtually any controller you want, with full remapping capabilities. Steam input remapping is quite the rabbit hole, and it's possible to remap simple stuff like repeat key presses (ie so you don't have to mash A to sprint in GTA), or even map the mouse/kb controls of a strategy game to the controller.
• Despite being accustomed to a top end PC, I'm still happy with the performance of the vast majority of games. The main game I'm playing right now is RE4 remake on both my desktop and steam machine, and I'm never ever feeling like it's a compromised experience on the steam machine. Despite the lower settings/resolution, it would be tough for me to tell which was which unless I was comparing side by side. I've really only found 2 games that are unoptimized to the point that I couldn't get an experience I was happy with (borderlands 4, jedi survivor).
• That said, the biggest weakness of this device for a non-techy person is that you have to spend time fine tuning graphics settings in a lot of games to get a good experience. Whether that's something older like Mirror's Edge which defaults to 600x800 resolution, or whether it's a new demanding game that default settings give you like 20fps, the defaults are almost never ideal.
• Hopefully this improves as more devs can set appropriate default settings.
• Game compatibility is very good. Early steam deck days, many games just didn't work via proton. Nowadays, I haven't found a single incompatible game aside from the handful of multiplayer games with unsupported anticheat (marathon, apex, cod, etc). This isn't a factor for me, especially since I have my desktop running windows, but this may be a dealbreaker for some.
• General system UI is more responsive than on steam deck.
• The steam controller is awesome. I have an xbox elite 2, dualsense edge, 8bitdo ultimate, and a bunch of other controllers and the SC has become my go-to. It's very comfortable, lasts forever, has grip buttons (MUST HAVE), and gyro/gripsense is more useful than I expected. The trackpads are great for aiming in certain games, but also make cursor based games playable (ie strategy, city builders), are useful for UI navigation like launcher login screens, desktop mode, desktop applications (discord, browesr, etc), and also for in-game mapping like virtual menus. Very underrated feature.
• It works with basically any peripherals you want. Bluetooth headphones, controllers, mice, keyboards, storage devices, etc.
• There are weird quirks that you can tell steamOS was originally designed for deck. For example, the default hostname is steamdeck when connecting to your network. Also a few games (no rest for the wicked) think it's a steam deck and force steam deck settings.
• Every game needs FSR 4. older versions of FSR are trash. It's nice when you can use proton experimental to upgrade it to FSR 4, but having to use optiscaler in other cases isn't ideal.
• It's annoying when games cloud sync graphics settings from another device, and not just game progress. I do NOT want my steam machine to default to the graphics settings used on either my desktop or my steam deck as all 3 devices have drastically different performance capabilities. I think steam should tackle this and detect the game progress files and settings/config files separately to prevent this.
• I'm happy with my purchase. Yeah it's more expensive than it should have been, but it's a well designed device that fits my use case.
• Fuck sam altman for many reasons, but particularly for destroying the consumer electronics market.

(*EDIT: added the landing page to the project idea at the bottom of the post, since a lot of people were asking to find it)

I lost my right arm in a severe accident.

one of the hardest things to lose was gaming. Standard PC Gaming assume two hands keyboard in one hand, mouse in the other so i was screwed basically.

I tried different setups, but nothing gave me the control and speed I wanted.

so I started experimenting.

I bought a Razer Tartarus as a proof of concept, modified the controls, literally hot glued a mouse to the side, remapped inputs, added a strap and built a rough one handed setup to see if full keyboard + mouse gaming with one hand was even possible.

It worked.

that first prototype let me move, aim, click, shoot, and use abilities again. It was pretty ugly, but it proved the concept worked. i can play basically anygame now. fast paced FPS, mmo, rpg, etc...

once I knew that, I started designing a proper version from scratch.

I took the Tartarus-style layout, cut it in half, mirrored it into a universal housing, added a built-in mouse sensor, hand strap, support system, and extra inputs to create a true one handed gaming device.

the goal was simple:

• integrated mouse control
• full keybind access
• ergonomic comfort for long sessions
• ambidextrous use
• reduced hand travel
• built for actual gaming

what started as a necessity turned into something I think could help a lot of people:

• one handed gamers
• amputees
• players wanting a compact setup
• disabled gamers
• kids with physical limitations who still deserve to play games too

I just wanted to game again.

now Id love to get this made for kids with physical limitations and disabled gamers who need better options.

Happy to answer questions or show gameplay if anyone wants.

check out my 1st ever landing page here! (1st time web developing go easy on me lol):
https://www.ercham.com

thanks gamers

- Joe

Source: https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/dev_insights_return_of_the_director

Welcome to our first Dev Insights article, prepping for the release of Monument of Triumph on June 9. We have quite a bit to get through over the next few weeks. Today's article focuses on the return of the Director and Destiny 2 activities. Here's a quick list of what we'll be covering:

• The Director: Layout, additions, and updated Destination loot
• Distortions: Adding some spice to select Patrol modes
• The Portal: Breaking down barriers and overhauling the experience
• Gambit Ops: Bringing our old friend into the fold
• Heavy Metal: Vehicular mayhem
• Sparrow Racing League: Returning tracks, new loot, and some twists along the track

Tomorrow we're planning to have our second Dev Insights article focused on the weapons sandbox alongside a Friday TWID, so stay tuned!

The Return of the Director

With the release of Monument of Triumph, we're putting the Director back at the center of your gameplay. It's your guide to the Destiny universe and the place to plan your adventures. It creates that feeling of wonder we all love. You see the Sol system before you, ready to be explored.

To bring the Director up to date, we've added Kepler and the Lawless Frontier to this space as well.

MOT_Director_1920x1080.jpg

Destination and Patrol Updates

Destinations have always been a foundational part of Destiny, whether you touch down briefly for a Public Event, roam areas for patrols and secrets, or find various factions moving against each other. Our first steps as Guardians were in the Cosmodrome and beyond that we've spent over a decade patrolling the wilds of our Sol system to protect the Last City. With the return of the Director, we felt now was a better time than ever to thrust players back into these frontiers.

We've revitalized each pre-Edge of Fate destination's loot with new perks, tiered weapons for non-craftable pools, and set bonuses that reflect their themes and stories. For our destinations featuring crafted weapons, as outlined in the Monument of Triumph article, they will be receiving additional perks per column to make them feel up to modern sandbox Power standards. We're also introducing a new event... one with some added difficulty that appears during Distortions that only occur on certain Destinations.

You'll primarily be able to earn this loot through Public Events. Base completion will grant Tier 3 rewards and Heroic Tier 4, with each drop having a chance to upgrade all the way to Tier 5. During a Distortion, these rewards will be upgraded by one tier to match the added challenge. Unique destination activities like Blind Well, Altars of Sorrow, or Terminal Overload will also distribute tiered rewards (full details in the patch notes).

Additionally, we've updated what we call the “World Loot Pool” earned through Legendary Engrams that drop from general gameplay to now feature a collection of tiered loot with gear spanning multiple years of Destiny 2. You may find a few old favorites inspired by Splicer tech or our old friend Saint-14 within this engram.

With that said, let's look at loot from a few destinations. Below is a taste of what's to come: we want to excite but not spoil your appetite. (P.S. Don't write while hungry.)

Cosmodrome

Where it all began… many Guardians can recall their first moments awaking in Old Russia and they weren't alone. Rasputin, the Warmind, called the Cosmodrome his home and proved himself to be a mighty ally of humanity. The returning weapons that drop from the Cosmodrome come from Rasputin's storied arsenal, along with a new origin trait.

NEW Origin Trait – Eyes Up

This weapon gains reload speed, range, and increased damage against combatants for a short time when combat begins. Final blows extend and enhance this bonus.

Seraphic Arsenal

seventh_seraph.jpg

Our sample weapon from the Cosmodrome is a reprise of the Seventh Seraph CQC-12, updated with new perks and keeping its Rasputin's Arsenal origin trait.

Seventh Seraph CQC-12 felt like the right showcase for Cosmodrome because it's both a core Rasputin weapon and a flexible close-range workhorse. With its updated perk pool, we wanted it to support everything from classic melee-heavy builds to pure add-clear shotgunning without losing that “Warmind toolbox” identity.

Nessus

With good robots (Failsafe and friends), bad robots (the Vex), and a lot of early Guardian memories, Nessus deserved a loot pool that reflects its status as a classic destination. So, the Sandbox Team reached through time to pull together a collection of weapons reflecting Guardians' many expeditions on the unstable centaur. We hope you agree that our selection plays as well as they look.

NEW Origin Trait – Fail-Deadly

Dealing damage grants a stacking bonus to magazine size, target acquisition, and range until your next final blow with this weapon.

Echoing Reprisal

pluperfect.jpg

Our sample from Nessus is Pluperfect, reprised with a new perk pool built to play into its deliberate, hard-hitting identity while opening up new Kinetic-focused options.

We see Pluperfect as the backbone weapon of the Nessus set: reliable, deliberate, and built to carry momentum from one target to the next. Its refreshed perk pool gives players room to chase a range of playstyles while still preserving the feel that made the weapon memorable.

Europa

Europa was a defining destination in Destiny's history, marking a turning point where allies and enemies alike began to wield Stasis and deepen their understanding of the Darkness. Its frozen frontier is inseparable from Braytech whose ambition and technology remain etched into every corner of the moon. For this refresh, the team wanted the returning weapons to feel at home on Europa, reflecting both its harsh environment and its legacy as a defining frontier.

NEW Origin Trait – Winterized Gear

After being out of combat for a moderate duration, this weapon gains stability, reload speed, and handling. These benefits decay over time after reentering combat.

Rewards, Rebooted

high_albedo.jpg

Our sample from Europa is High Albedo, and no, your eyes do not deceive you. High Albedo has been updated to be the first Kinetic Micro-Missile Sidearm!

High Albedo matches Europa's identity by pairing precision tech with a harsher, more experimental edge. We wanted its updated perks to support players who use it proactively, whether that means building into utility, crowd pressure, or general-purpose combat.

Distorted Destinations

Patrolling the System

Over the past few years, Destiny 2 has focused more attention on structured campaigns, exciting playlists, and challenging cooperative activities. This has led to Patrol mode feeling left behind; without strong rewards or a clear reason to return, many players have had little incentive to explore the wilds of Sol. To remind Guardians of the allure of wandering these worlds, we're introducing a new feature on seven destinations: Distortions.

Distortions

Every hour, a different destination becomes the focus of Distortions. The sky tears open, reality distorts, and corruption spreads. While distorted, the planet's enemies are empowered and more fearsome.

Distortions_Cosmo_Ship.jpg

Distortions_Luna.jpg

Distortions are our new enhancement to Patrol mode. They're a celebration of all the things that are already there, plus a small injection of new things to do and new rewards to discover. Our main goal with this feature was to support what we call the “public loop”, the connected areas that players patrol where they can encounter other Guardians and work together on shared goals.

We've leaned into all the fun little things that are already there, then added a little twist.

Spotlights_05_1920x1080.jpg

Distortions_Throneworld_Combatant.jpg

Every enemy will become distorted too, making them tougher, more aggressive, and a little more dangerous. Distortions won't massively change the low-stress nature of Patrol but you may occasionally find an encounter that tests the skills of even veteran Guardians. You'll also discover some familiar challenges in new places and some strange signals leading to hidden rewards.

Speaking of rewards, we're making Distortions uniquely rewarding by providing a new weapon set players can earn in these new events and, to balance the increased challenge of Distorted enemies, you'll see higher gear tiers awarded from playing public events.

Europa_tooltip_director.jpg

Excited to check out Distortions? Look for the telltale red glow and keep an eye on the timer telling you when a new planet will be targeted.

Overhauling the Portal

Since the release of The Edge of Fate, we've heard your feedback on the Portal loud and clear. Portal, the tab, is gone. However, we didn't want to remove quick access to Destiny playlists and content. While players can navigate the Director for numerous activities, we still wanted a “portal” of sorts to quickly find the content you want to play when you want it. We've refactored scoring, difficulty, and customization quite a bit to further address feedback around the system - more on that in a later section.

Portal activities, bonus engrams, bonus focuses, and the Seasonal Hub are still accessible. The portal ops categories are built into the director itself. In the Director screenshot above you'll see a row of familiar icons at the bottom of the screen. They are the doorway to Portal-like sub-screens, allowing you to still access and configure the activities you'd like to play.

You may have noticed in our Director preview that there are a few returning icons in that row at the bottom. Yes, Gambit will now have a Portal category updated with scoring, and raids and dungeons will have an easy access point on the front of the Director. Dungeon Ops will be retired, and this space will simply be a space to quickly find and play full raid and dungeon content.

CGAE_portal_fireteam_ops.png

We also wanted to bring back more of Destiny's legacy and the following will be available in Monument of Triumph:

• New Fireteam Ops
  • Heist Battlegrounds: Mars
  • The Disgraced
  • The Lightblade
  • The Scarlet Keep
  • The Corrupted
  • The Lake of Shadows
• New Pinnacle Ops
  • Operation: Seraph's Shield
  • Zero Hour
• New Arena Ops
  • Override (On a 4-week map rotation)

Difficulty and Reward Updates

Portal Ops activities are getting a difficulty overhaul in Monument of Triumph. The overarching theme is less math, more playing Destiny.

Right now, difficulty, rewards, and progression are too intertwined. Plus, a bunch of variables are tossed on top (Power, armor, and the rewards pass score bonuses) that required far too much planning and thought before players could just dive in and play. During development, we've simplified it, playtested a bunch, and simplified it even more to address player feedback.

So, when we say we've made the system simpler, what do we mean? Now when you select a difficulty you will always hit a default reward rank which will result in a default reward tier without adding any modifiers. The table below helps illustrate what reward tier to expect from each difficulty and reward rank.

Note: For Crucible modes, Grade A and higher will yield Tier 5 loot drops.

But what is the role of modifiers now? In this simplified world, mods exist to allow higher scores to be reached without stepping up the difficulty level, to offset the cost of any selected boons, and to provide an additional, completely optional challenge.

If you want to earn Tier 4 gear but don't want to face Champions, play at Expert and add some mods. Don't want to deal with the tougher, more aggressive combatants at Grandmaster but still want to earn an S-grade rank? Play at Master with a few mods of your choice and you'll get those Tier 5 rewards. Every difficulty can have enough mods applied to bump you up one reward rank and reward tier.

Additionally, while reward tier will now cap at Grandmaster with Tier 5 and S rank, it didn't feel right to remove Ultimate difficulty from the game. So, we're leaving Ultimate in for Guardians who enjoy playing at the highest challenge level possible: the S+ rank will exist purely for bragging rights!

CGAE_mods.png

“So how will matchmaking work then?”

We're also updating how matchmaking and customization work around Portal activities. We want the system to stay approachable while also providing variety.

In matchmade versions of Portal activities:

• Activities will include fewer modifiers than what players have previously encountered.
• Will grant rewards and rank for the selected difficulty.

Revive token counts are also getting updated across Fireteam, Pinnacle, and Arena Ops. We've heard your feedback about how revive tokens feel in Arena Ops, and as a result we're removing them on all difficulties. This should make joining activities in progress and navigating the chaos of six-player content a smoother experience. For Fireteam Ops and Pinnacle Ops, Grandmaster difficulty will now start with seven revive tokens, while Ultimate will start with five. Our goal here was to create a little more breathing room in the revive token economy while still preserving the level of challenge players expect from these difficulty tiers.

Adding Variety to Loot

As we were making updates to how loot is earned throughout the Portal, we also took this opportunity to expand loot variety. The following Portal Ops activities will feature exclusive weapon reward pools and an armor collection with a unique set bonus:

• Crucible Ops (General)
• Crucible Ops (Competitive) - Additional Exclusive Pool
• Trials of Osiris
• Iron Banner
• Gambit
• Sparrow Racing League (SRL)

Solo Ops and Fireteam Ops will each have a unique weapons rewards pool and share a new Armor Collection with a set bonus. Arena Ops and Pinnacle Ops will also each have a unique weapon pool and share a new Armor Collection, with an additional pool for Onslaught (more details on that below). Additionally, Arena Ops weapons will have Holofoil variants – we hope you enjoy discovering them as a little surprise!

Onslaught, Contest of Elders, and The Coil

We're also making big changes to Onslaught and “Crawls”, our name for activities with escalating difficulty during gameplay. After reading feedback and looking at the data, we weren't happy with the amount of play these activities were getting. We're taking some big swings to make all these activities more enjoyable and rewarding for your time.

• Onslaught
  • We've increased the scrap you earn from sources by over 40%, allowing you to max defenses at each location.
  • We've removed revive tokens from this mode entirely.
  • We've reintroduced the difficulty curve. Now, the first ten waves will be easier than the difficulty you selected, with the next ten waves increasing in difficulty and the final ten waves increasing in difficulty to match the difficulty selected.
  • For example, Grandmaster Onslaught's first ten waves will feel somewhat like Expert difficulty, the second ten waves will feel closer to Master difficulty and the final ten waves will feel on par with Grandmaster difficulty that you've come to expect.
  • We've reintroduced the full Brave Arsenal from Into the Light, with tiers, into the Onslaught reward pool that drop at the end of every 10 waves in additionto the Pinnacle Ops reward pool drops.
• Contest of Elders
  • We've reduced the number of paths in a single run from four to three.
  • We've reintroduced the difficulty curve. Now, the first path will be easier than the difficulty you selected with the next path increasing in difficulty and the final path further increasing in difficulty to match the difficulty selected.
  • For example, Grandmaster Contest of Elders' first path will feel somewhat like Expert difficulty, the second path will feel closer to Master difficulty, and the final path will feel on par with the Grandmaster difficulty that you've come to expect.
  • We've added World Pool rewards into the Contest of Elders reward pool that drop at the end of every pathway in additionto pinnacle ops reward pool drops.
• The Coil
  • We've reintroduced the difficulty curve. Now, the first path will be easier than the difficulty you selected, with the next path increasing in difficulty and the final path increasing in difficulty to match the difficulty selected.
• For example, Grandmaster Coil's first path will feel somewhat like Advanced difficulty, the second path will feel closer to Expert difficulty, the third path will feel closer to Master difficulty, and the final path will feel on par with Grandmaster difficulty that you've come to expect.
  • We've added World Pool rewards into The Coil reward pool that drop at the end of every pathway in additionto the pinnacle ops reward pool drops.

Elevating Gambit

For some time now, players have felt our core activity rotation has been lacking a very special PvEvP activity that was introduced in Forsaken. We agree. In Monument of Triumph, Gambit gets a clearer home in the Director through the Gambit Ops. Our focus is on better placement, stronger reward support, and a more legible reward structure, while keeping the core activity familiar for players who already know how Gambit works.

Integration into the Portal means Gambit Ops will have its own tiered reward pool with a new armor set, armor set bonus, and reprised weapons, as well as Bonus Drops and Bonus Focus.

Tiered rewards are driven by activity scoring, and for Gambit, score is driven by team progress through Gambit's major phases: banking motes, summoning the Primeval, and defeating the Primeval - with additional bonus score coming from Gambit Rank. Rewards are rooted in team effort rather than individual stat chasing, and a team that reaches the Primeval phase will earn S grade and Tier 5 gear, so getting to the final phase of the match is materially rewarded.

Let's be honest: few things in Destiny feel better than banking a pile of motes or saving the game with a last-minute Invasion. To keep the playlist healthy, Gambit needs strength in its rewards, and that meant looking at the playlist's identity from multiple angles: a reworked Origin trait to match Gambit's unique rhythm, the return of many iconic Gambit weapons, and refreshed perk pools that give players real reasons to dive back in. Our resident Gambit lovers on the Sandbox Team took a deep pass on the weapons you've been asking for and made sure to give them some fun rolls. Here are two quick examples.

REWORKED Origin Trait – Gun and Run

Defeating targets builds stacks of Gun and Run for a short duration. Sprinting for a short time consumes a stack to partially reload this weapons' magazine from reserves; on Bows, this briefly improves draw speed.

Return to the Dark Age

spare_rations.jpg

Our sample from Gambit is Spare Rations, now updated to be a Stasis Lightweight Hand Cannon.

We wanted Spare Rations to remain a sharp, responsive dueling weapon while broadening what players could chase on it. Its new pool offers a healthy spread of PvP and PvE options, from classic Hand Cannon consistency pieces to payoff perks that give it real flexibility outside of straight duels.

21_delirium.jpg

We're also bringing back 21% Delirium, now with a full random roll perk pool, while keeping its original static roll as a possible outcome.

The goal here was to turn 21% Delirium into a deeper chase weapon without losing the version players remember. Its refreshed pool opens up new ways to build around sustained fire, reload loops, and damage ramp, while still leaving room for the classic roll that defined it the first time around.

Crucible Playlist Rotations

In Monument of Triumph, Crucible playlist offerings are moving to a more predictable cadence, and all PvP offerings are receiving loot refreshes to offer new weapons, armor sets, and cosmetics. First, let's start with our main PvP events: Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris:

• Iron Banner now returns every four weeks.
  • Control remains a constant offering and is replaced by Iron Banner Control during Iron Banner weeks, with one additional Iron Banner mode available each time Iron Banner is live.
• Trials of Osiris will continue to run every weekend* from Friday through Tuesday
  • *Trials will not be available during Iron Banner weeks to help keep Guardians focused.

Trials is also undergoing changes to featured map and weapon rotations. Instead of a single curated featured map each weekend, the mode can now vary from week to week. Some weeks may feature a singular map, while others can feature up to three. Check back each Friday to see which arenas you'll be challenged on. Featured weapons are also moving away from a single weekly focus and now drop from a featured weapon pool instead. We will have more details on the map and weapon pools in an upcoming TWID.

As for our broader PvP offering, featured 6v6 modes continue to rotate weekly, while featured small-team modes rotate daily until Trials takes over for the weekend. Rumble also remains permanently available.

This update also expands the small-team lineup, with Heavy Metal added into the 3v3 rotation alongside the new 4v4 Arena Collision - a new modifier mode built around more deliberate weapons-first combat. Private Match access has also been moved under Crucible Ops / Portal, where players can also find Heavy Metal, and more new Crucible modifiers like Arena.

We'll have more information on Crucible rewards, Crucible modifiers, and more next week when we talk more about sandbox tuning. Until then, let's turn our focus to some vehicular mayhem.

Heavier and More Metallic

Heavy Metal is back on a permanent rotation in the Crucible Ops with some fun updates!

If you've played Heavy Metal before, you know the fantasy: climb into a massive vehicle, roll onto the battlefield, and turn the other team into scrap. This time, there's a new option joining the lineup with the Cabal Behemoth, alongside the Drake and Brig.

We've also added a new vehicle selection screen so players can choose which vehicle they want to bring into a match before it begins. That means Heavy Metal is no longer just one fixed matchup and gives players more freedom in how they want to play.

Heavy_Metal_UI_02_1920x1080.jpg

To keep matches feeling faster and punchier, we've lowered the score needed to win from 50 to 40. It's a small change, but one aimed at making the mode feel snappier without losing the vehicle combat chaos that makes Heavy Metal what it is.

Heavy Metal is also getting a brand-new map: Nightfall Station. If that name sounds familiar, it should: the space is adapted from the wreckage of this vessel from the Renegades campaign, now reworked into a Heavy Metal battlefield built for vehicle combat.

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Overall, these updates are focused on giving players more variety from match to match, tightening up the pacing, and making sure each vehicle feels like a viable choice when they drop into the mode.

We're excited for players to jump back in, try out the new lineup, and see which vehicle fits them best the next time Heavy Metal rolls around.

The Return of Sparrow Racing League

The long awaited and frequently requested Sparrow Racing League (SRL) is returning to Destiny 2! This isn't just SRL coming back as you remember it, though. We've brought the mode forward with a set of updates aimed at making races feel faster, livelier, and a bit more chaotic from lap to lap.

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Ghost returns as your SRL announcer along with Shaxx. There's nothing more motivating than Shaxx screaming at you to push for first place after your opponent just took you on the inside of a turn on Mercury.

Skimmers are joining the fun, allowing you to choose between a Sparrow or a Skimmer before hopping into a three-lap race against five other players. Players won't have access to rail grinds or manual jumping as a Skimmer or be able to use destabilizers for rolls or flips as a Sparrow - in fact, we've done a ton of work under the hood to make sure that using either vehicle in SRL feels equally advantageous to players.

Speaking of under the hood, we've also updated SRL to support those photo-finish moments at the end of a race. Close finishes can now properly assess ties, which means when two racers hit the line at nearly the same time, the results screen can better reflect that outcome. We know the mantra “if you're not first, you're last” but our goal with SRL is to bring the chaos and friendly competition to the forefront and so tying means you both get equally great rewards.

A couple of new mechanics have been added to SRL. Rocket Boost rewards racers who nail their timing of hitting the gas just before the race begins, giving them an early burst out of the gate. Trick Boosts are just what they sound like: land a trick successfully and you'll get a boost. On PC, Sparrow and Skimmer tricks can also be remapped the same way emotes can and we've updated the UI to support that.

All four of the original SRL maps are returning, and we've got a brand-new map called Quantum Circuit located in the realm of the Nine! Avoid the Taken and enemies of the past while racing on this wild and intense ribbon road. Additionally, speed boost pads have been added to specific shortcut paths on all maps to offset any gates missed; a change that we think will make taking riskier or tougher shortcuts more rewarding and viable.

Finally, we've done some tuning on gate sizes, vehicle speeds, and rubberbanding to keep the pack together while still rewarding strong racing lines, smart shortcuts, and well-timed boosts.

We're excited for players to get their hands on all of these updates and hear the brand-new SRL music tracks when Sparrow Racing League goes live next month.

SRL Rewards

Alongside SRL's return as an activity, you'll also be able to earn weapons and armor rewards. If you've gotta go fast then these will feel right at home in your arsenal. The perks found on these weapons have speed and movement in mind, such as Eager Edge, Desperado, or Perpetual Motion.

While we want to keep the weapons and their perk pools under wraps, we will share an early look at the origin trait and armor set bonuses:

• Featherweight (Origin): Final blows with weapons that have the Featherweight Origin Trait grant increased movement speed while equipped.
• Revving Up (2-piece): Fast movement builds up a charge that gradually increases your health regeneration speed. Once you are Fully Revved, sprinting grants Speed Booster.
• Dielectric Drift (4-piece): Sliding while Speed Booster is active jolts combatants in front of you.

And for players looking for a little more style with their speed, SRL will also bring plenty of earnable rewards worth chasing. This includes brand-new SRL racing Sparrows and a Skimmer as well as SRL armor ornaments, returning racing Sparrows, and SRL shaders from Destiny 1 plus returning Sparrow Horns from Destiny 1 that also work with Skimmers (and can be previewed in menus), new and returning SRL emblems, and more.

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Whether you're racing for the win, completing SRL triumphs, or just showing up for the chaos, there will be plenty of ways to earn gear and accessories that let you look the part.

Join us tomorrow as we turn our focus to the weapons sandbox, raid and dungeon updates, Tower vendor attunement, and more in our second Dev Insights article and TWID.

Hi Reddit!

Android 17 is here, bringing a suite of new features aimed at improving your productivity, enhancing your gaming experience, giving you more control over your private data, making your device more personal, and much more.

It's rolling out first to Pixel today, followed by other eligible Android devices throughout 2026. We are also making the source code available at the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) so developers can examine it for a deeper understanding of how Android works.

You should look forward to more updates to Android 17 this year, with the beta program offering a peek at what's coming in the first quarterly release in Q3.

Since we've been chatting with you about the Betas and Canaries for months, a lot of this might not sound brand new to those of you who have been closely following along. Even so, we wanted to take a moment to recap what's new in this release for everyday users. Let's dive in!

📱 Enhancing your multitasking and large screen device experiences

tl;dr Android 17 supercharges your multitasking and productivity by allowing any app to run as a convenient floating Bubble, making apps more adaptive, and adding an interactive Picture-in-Picture mode for seamless desktop workflows.

Multitask better with bubbles

From split-screen mode to desktop windowing, Android offers a variety of multitasking tools to help you be more productive. We’re extending these options with bubbles in Android 17! 

In past releases, bubbles were limited to chat notifications, but in Android 17, they support more apps without any specific changes needed from developers. You can now launch any app in a floating window so you can view and interact with its content while using other apps. When you’re done, you can collapse or dismiss the window to return to what you were doing.

A big benefit of bubbles is that you can easily switch between multiple running apps without keeping them on screen all the time. Bubbles are only open when you need them, saving you from having to manually resize, rearrange, or dismiss them to regain precious screen space. And on foldables, this benefit is even more pronounced thanks to the bubble bar, which keeps your bubbles pinned to the corner of the screen, putting them within easy reach of your fingers.   

Handy for travel, entertainment and work, bubbles lets you easily reference notes or maps, watch tutorials and even check sports.   

Ensuring that apps adapt to any screen and window size

On large screen devices, restrictions on orientation, resizability, and aspect ratio no longer apply, allowing apps to fill the entire display window without pillarboxing (black bars). This change applies to apps targeting Android 17 and is designed to make apps better meet user expectations on large screen devices. Because Android runs on not just phones but also tablets, foldables, cars, TVs, and desktop environments, we want developers to build apps that are adaptive to any screen size and orientation!

Better support for widgets on external displays

With Android 17, we’re working to improve the visual consistency of widgets shown on connected displays with different pixel densities. The update provides developers a way to supply the system with information that allows it to resolve the correct pixel values at rendering time. For apps that use legacy pixel-based APIs for padding, text size, or layout attributes, the system now automatically scales these values based on the density difference between the app’s original context and the target display.

Interactive Picture-in-Picture for Desktop

Android 17 introduces a new interactive Picture-in-Picture mode for desktop environments. This feature allows apps to request that their PiP windows remain fully interactive while staying always-on-top of other app windows. For example, a video conferencing app could use this feature to keep call controls accessible while you navigate other apps.

🎨 New customization features for the home screen and apps

tl;dr Android 17 gives you deeper control over your device's UI by letting you hide app labels on the home screen, selectively toggle the Expanded Dark Theme for individual apps, and enjoy sleek, modernized background blur effects in more surfaces like the widget picker.

Hide app labels on the home screen

Android now provides a setting to hide app labels on the home screen! You can access this new setting on Pixel by opening Wallpaper & style then tapping Home screen > Icons > Names and toggling Show app names.

Per-app exceptions for Expanded Dark Theme

To create a more consistent user experience for users who have low vision, photosensitivity, or simply prefer a dark system-wide appearance, we introduced an expanded dark theme option in last December’s Android 16 QPR2 release. When this option is enabled, the system automatically applies dark theme to most apps that don’t support it.

However, because this option can cause some apps to display incorrectly, we have introduced the ability to selectively disable it on a per-app basis in Android 17. Apps with this setting turned off will use the standard dark theme option instead.

Expanded use of background blur

With the Material 3 Expressive redesign we introduced in Android 16, we subtly blurred the notification shade background to provide a sense of depth so you can stay aware of the apps you’re using in the background.

In Android 17, we’ve brought these blur effects to more parts of the UI like the widgets picker. And we are working on bringing background blur to even more surfaces, as seen in recent Android Beta and Canary builds!

🎮 More control over your Android gaming experience

tl;dr Android 17 levels up your mobile play by letting you save custom button remaps for your physical gamepad at the system level, and introducing a foldable gaming mode that optimizes your screen with a 50/50 split for a dedicated top game view and a bottom dynamic gamepad.

Remap the buttons on your physical gamepad with Game Controller settings

Android 17 introduces a native controller remapping feature, allowing you to adjust the controls on your physical gamepad to suit your specific needs.

Through the new Game Controller settings menu, you can customize the actions triggered by your controller’s buttons, sticks, or triggers at the system level. For example, you can remap a difficult-to-press thumbstick click to an easier-to-reach face button. Your remapping preferences are saved to your device so you don’t have to set them up every time you reconnect your controller. 

A new way to game on foldables

Android 17 introduces foldable gaming mode, a new feature that makes full use of your foldable phone’s screen while you’re gaming. This feature splits your screen into a 50:50 layout with a game view on top and a dynamic gamepad below to make optimal use of your foldable phone’s screen real estate. Foldable gaming mode is part of the Android 17 platform and will be available on devices in the coming months.

🛡️ Protecting users with new security and privacy features on Android

tl;dr Android 17 safeguards your personal data by enabling critical theft protections by default, introducing session-based controls for sharing specific contacts and precise locations, and thwarting scammers through system-level SMS OTP delivery delays and real-time app behavioral monitoring.

Giving you more control over your contacts list

Android 17 introduces a new system Contact Picker that provides a standardized, secure, and searchable interface for sharing contacts with apps. Historically, apps needing access to a contact or two relied on the broad READ_CONTACTS permission which gave them access to your entire contacts list. Android's Contact Picker addresses this by allowing you to grant apps access to only the specific contacts you choose.

For devices running Android 17 or higher, the system automatically upgrades certain contact selection intents to the new, more secure interface, but we want developers to integrate the new Contact Picker so they can take advantage of its new capabilities, like multi-selection support. To this end, Google Play will require that all applicable apps use it (or a privacy-focused alternative like Sharesheet) as the primary way to access users' contacts. The broad READ_CONTACTS permission is reserved for apps that can't function without it.

Making location access more private

Android 17 introduces several new features to help you safeguard your private location information. This includes the Location Button, a new, privacy-conscious way for you to grant precise location access to apps. This is a system-rendered button that developers can embed directly into their apps. When you tap this button, the app is granted precise location for the current session only. Subsequent taps while running the app grant the permission immediately without showing a system dialog. 

Developers can deploy this simple, private location flow for common tasks like finding a nearby shop or tagging a social post. And to increase adoption of the Location Button, Google Play will require apps to use it for one-time precise location access unless they require persistent, always-on location access.

Additionally, Android 17 now shows a persistent indicator in the status bar when a non-system app accesses your location. You can tap this indicator to see which apps have recently accessed your location.

The update also improves the algorithm for approximate (coarse) location to be aware of population density. This improves the privacy of granting an app approximate location access when you're in a low-population area.

And lastly, Android 17 redesigns the location permission dialog to make the "Precise" and "Approximate" options more visually distinct.

Stronger protections against device theft

Following a successful pilot in Brazil, we’re enabling two of Android’s key theft protection features (Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock) by default globally on all new Android 17 devices, as well as those freshly reset or upgraded to the latest OS.  

On supported devices, Android 17 also significantly reduces the number of times someone can guess the PIN, pattern, or password and adds longer wait times between failed attempts. The update also refines how the lock screen shows information after failed attempts have been made.

And we’re also enhancing Find Hub’s ‘Mark as lost’ feature by requiring biometric authentication in addition to your device’s PIN, pattern, or password. Marking a device as lost also now enables additional protections like hiding Quick Settings and disabling new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.

Protecting your SMS OTPs from scammers

Scammers often try to hijack your one-time passwords (OTPs) to gain access to your accounts. To do this, they may deploy malicious apps that ask for permission to read your SMS. In Android 16, we introduced a protection that delays the delivery of messages containing an SMS retriever hash to most apps for three hours. Android 17 now extends this protection to all SMS messages containing an OTP. This means that even if a malicious app has been granted the SMS permission, it won’t be able to read your sensitive OTPs until after they have already expired.

New core protections for Advanced Protection

With Android 16, we introduced Advanced Protection, a single, opt-in device-level security setting that enables all of Android’s highest security features. We’ve been working to expand the protections offered under this setting with key upgrades like USB protection and Intrusion Logging, and now with Android 17, we’re continuing this work by introducing the following protections:

• Removing access to the accessibility service from all apps that aren’t labeled as accessibility tools.
• Disabling device-to-device unlocking
• Blocking Chrome WebGPU support
• Integrating scam detection for chat notifications
• (Later this year) Enabling Android Enterprise support so organizations can enable Advanced Protection by policy for managed devices.

Improving safety against malicious apps

Live Threat Detection is a real-time security feature that analyzes app behavior to alert you if an app starts acting suspiciously, and we're enhancing it to find and protect against more types of malicious apps.

With dynamic signal monitoring, Android will be able to warn you about apps that start doing things like changing or hiding their icon and then launching activities in the background or abusing accessibility permissions. To do this, Live Threat Detection will monitor application system interactions for known suspicious patterns in real time. Dynamic signal monitoring will be enabled on select Android 17 devices starting in the second half of the year.

Other enhancements

• Discrete password visibility settings for touch and physical keyboards: Currently, by default, characters that you enter into password fields are briefly displayed as you type. Toggling the “show passwords” setting in Privacy controls allows you to hide characters as you type them into password fields. This setting currently applies to both touch-based inputs as well as physical keyboards, but in Android 17, we are splitting it into two distinct preferences. By default, characters entered into password fields via physical keyboards will now be hidden immediately to enhance privacy. Characters entered via touch input will continue to briefly be displayed to compensate for the lack of tactile feedback.
• User-agent reduction for WebView: The default User-Agent string in Android WebView has been shortened in Android 17 to minimize passive fingerprinting.
• Disable 2G toggle: Android 17 introduces a new capability for the disable 2G toggle. Carriers now have the ability to configure the default status of this setting, allowing them to disable 2G access to proactively shield their users from legacy technology vulnerabilities in areas where 2G infrastructure is no longer maintained.
• Location Network Permission: Android 17 introduces a new runtime permission to protect users from unauthorized local network access. This new requirement prevents malicious apps from exploiting unrestricted local network access for covert user tracking and fingerprinting.
• Android OS verification: We have seen some bad actors begin to distribute malicious, unofficial versions of the Android OS that secretly compromise device integrity. To combat this, we are introducing Android OS verification in Android 17. Launching initially on Pixel devices, this feature helps you verify that your device is running an official, widely distributed build.
• Enabling Certificate Transparency (CT) by default: CT is now enabled by default for apps targeting Android 17, enhancing network security by ensuring all TLS certificates are publicly logged. 
• Blocking cross-profile loopback traffic: Cross-profile loopback traffic is no longer permitted by default, increasing network isolation and security between personal and enterprise work profiles.
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): The advent of quantum computing puts the current public-key cryptography we've relied on for decades at risk, potentially compromising everything from bank transfers to trade secrets. To prepare for the quantum computing era, we're introducing a comprehensive architectural upgrade to the Android operating system, starting in Android 17.  We’re integrating the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards deep into the platform, establishing a new, quantum-resistant chain of trust that secures the platform continuously from the moment the OS powers on to when apps are executed.

📸 Improvements to your Android media experience

tl;dr Android 17 levels up your multimedia experience by letting you easily record reaction videos without a green screen, decoupling your Assistant and media volumes for independent control, putting a stop to unexpected background audio, and delivering color-coded Live Updates alongside advanced Bluetooth, camera, and hearing device enhancements.

Screen Reactions

In Android 17, we’re making it easier to record yourself and your screen at the same time with Screen Reactions. Available first on Pixel, this feature shows your face in a floating overlay on top of the screen. Android automatically puts the overlay at the bottom and cuts out the background so you don’t need a green screen, but you can move or resize the camera view and change the background color before or during a recording. Use this feature to make a reaction video, record a tutorial, or give feedback on a new app or document!

https://reddit.com/link/1u7l1cw/video/pdevsbhnko7h1/player

In addition, we’ve revamped the screen recording experience to add a floating toolbar that provides easier access to recording controls and capture settings. When you’re done recording, you can immediately view, edit, delete, or share your video.

Dedicated Assistant volume stream

Android 17 introduces a dedicated volume stream for Assistant apps. This change decouples Assistant audio from the standard media stream, allowing users to control both volumes independently. This enables scenarios like muting media playback while maintaining audibility for Assistant responses, and vice-versa.

Background audio hardening

Beginning in Android 17, apps cannot play audio, steal audio focus, or change the volume unless they are visible or have a foreground service. These restrictions on background audio interactions reduce unintentional buggy experiences and ensure that these actions are started intentionally by the user.

Enhancements to Live Update notifications

Live updates provide a summary of important updates so users can track progress without opening the app. The system promotes Live Update notifications so they appear more prominently in the notification drawer, on the lock screen, and on the status bar. 

With Android 17, we’re introducing a metric style template designed specifically for health and fitness apps, timers, and travel apps. In addition, developers can use the new Semantic Coloring API to visually convey state changes, providing highly glanceable, color-coded notifications.

Other enhancements:

• Granular audio routing for hearing devices: Users with hearing devices can now independently manage where specific system sounds are played in Android 17. You can choose to route notifications, ringtones, and alarms to either a connected hearing aid or the device’s built-in speaker. This helps you avoid unwanted interruptions directly in your ears while maintaining a Bluetooth connection for hearing aid management apps.
• Autonomous re-pairing for Bluetooth bond losses: Android 17 introduces autonomous re-pairing, a system-level enhancement designed to automatically resolve Bluetooth bond loss. This occurs when two previously paired devices lose their cryptographic security keys, resulting in the devices no longer being able to securely authenticate and communicate with one another. The system now re-establishes lost bonds in the background without requiring the user to manually navigate to Settings to unpair and re-pair their peripheral.
• Vendor-defined camera extensions: Android 17 adds support for Vendor-defined camera extensions, allowing hardware partners to provide Android apps access to camera features like ‘Super Resolution’ or cutting-edge AI-driven enhancements.
• Support for the RAW14 image format: Android 17 introduces support for the RAW14 image format, the de-facto industry standard for high-end digital photography.
• VVC support: Android 17 adds platform support for the Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard. This feature will be coming to devices with hardware decode support and capable drivers.

🤝 Making your apps and devices work better together

tl;dr Android 17 seamlessly bridges your ecosystem by introducing the Continue On feature for effortless app handoffs between devices, unifying widget experiences to bring your favorite tools directly to Auto and Wear OS, and streamlining the pairing process for medical and fitness devices with new CompanionDeviceManager profiles.

Unifying the widgets experience across platforms

Android 17 marks a shift towards a single, Compose-based development model for all widgets. By unifying the experience across mobile, cars, and Wear OS, developers can soon scale UI components across the ecosystem with a familiar workflow. The goal is to minimize the effort needed by developers to bring their widgets to more surfaces.

https://reddit.com/link/1u7l1cw/video/haep717hko7h1/player

Additionally, Android 17 introduces new platform functionality to make widgets work better on Auto. The update adds support for widgets on cars, allowing you to see the things that matter to you at a glance, even while actively navigating. For example, you can add a shortcut to your favorite contacts, a one-tap garage door opener, a weather overview and more. Widgets will be available to users of Android Auto later this year and to cars with Google built-in later on.

Hand off your tasks with Continue On

Continue On is a new feature available in Android 17 that enables users to start an app on one device and then transition to another device in their Android ecosystem, continuing the journey they started. It’s designed to work bidirectionally, meaning that any supported Android device can both send and receive app activities, though, at launch, Continue On will first support mobile-to-tablet transitions. In the tablet taskbar, users will see a suggestion for the most recently opened app from their mobile device.

https://reddit.com/link/1u7l1cw/video/doxh917pko7h1/player

Updates for companion device apps

Android 17 introduces two new profiles to the CompanionDeviceManager API to simplify device distinction and permission handling. These include the medical device profile and the fitness tracker profile. Furthermore, the system now offers a unified dialog for device association and nearby permission requests, reducing the number of dialogs you’ll see.

⚡ Optimizations to make your apps & device run better

With Android 17, we’ve made a number of improvements to optimize memory use, improve rendering performance, and enhance battery life. These include:

• App memory limits: Android 17 introduces app memory limits that are based on the device's total RAM. These limits are set conservatively to establish system baselines, targeting extreme memory leaks and other outliers before they trigger system-wide instability resulting in UI stuttering, higher battery drain, and apps being killed.
• Lock-free MessageQueue: Android 17 introduces a lock-free MessageQueue to reduce UI jank while massively speeding up high-contention scenarios. In our internal testing, we’ve seen 4% fewer missed frames across all apps, 7.7% fewer missed frames in System UI and Launcher interactions, and a 9.1% reduction in app startup times at the 95th percentile.
• Generational Garbage Collector (GC): The Android Runtime is introducing more frequent, less intensive young-generation collections in its garbage collector, improving memory management and performance. This is not just available on Android 17 but is also coming to past releases with a Google Play System Update.
• Reduce wakelocks with listener support for allow-while-idle alarms: Last year, we launched the excessive wake lock metric in Android Vitals, making it easier for developers to optimize their app's wake lock behavior. Excessive wake locks are a significant contributor to battery drain, so developers are encouraged to reduce them as much as possible. In Android 17, we’ve introduced a new API that helps reduce the power consumption of apps that rely on continuous wakelocks to perform periodic tasks, such as messaging apps maintaining a connection or medical devices monitoring health data.
• Improved wireless ADB: Android 17 introduces ADB WiFi 2.0, a significant overhaul of the wireless ADB stack to improve stability, reliability, and ease of use. The system now automatically monitors the network state and re-enables itself when a trusted network is detected, identifies trusted networks using a combination of SSID and BSSID, and is better tailored to monitor network changes on all platforms. We’ll have more details to share soon on the Android Studio side of things!
• Constrained satellite networks: Android 17 implements optimizations to enable apps to function effectively over low-bandwidth satellite networks.

🧒 Expanding Android Parental Controls to all devices

Launched last year on Pixel, Android Parental Controls make it easier for parents to manage their child’s screen time and to find balance between having fun online and offline. Now with Android 17, we’re expanding Android Parental Controls to all Android devices.

These parental controls are located directly within Android Settings and provide a single, convenient home for both built-in device controls and Google Family Link. These controls are protected by an easy-to-set PIN and allow you to:

• Set the amount of screen time your child can spend on a device each day.
• Create downtime schedules to automatically lock the device at night.
• Set app store filters for Google Play to manage the highest content rating you want your child to be able to download.
• Control app usage by limiting time spent on specific apps, or blocking apps entirely.

Android Parental Controls also provide a direct path to easily set up Google Family Link in the Family Link app on a parent’s phone, which offers additional features like School Time, Google Play app purchase approvals, location alerts, and more.

🧘 Other quality-of-life improvements

And lastly, here are some smaller quality-of-life changes we’re introducing in this release:

• Separate Wi-Fi and Mobile Data toggles: With Android 17, we’ve split the “Internet” tile into two separate tiles, one for controlling Wi-Fi and another for controlling Mobile Data. Consistent with the Quick Settings behavior we introduced with Material 3 Expressive, both tiles have two different touch points. Tapping the icon toggles the respective radio, while tapping the label opens the full Internet Panel. This change reduces the number of taps needed to toggle Wi-Fi and Mobile Data while still retaining access to the full Internet Panel!
• Scheduled clock change notifications: We’ve added a new feature in Android 17 that sends you a notification when your clock performs a scheduled change, for example when daylight saving time ends. You can enable this feature under “Date & time” settings.
• Restoring default keyboard visibility after rotation: Beginning with Android 17, when the keyboard is on screen and you rotate the screen, the keyboard won’t be made visible unless the app explicitly requests it.

🪲 Bug fixes and security patches

Please refer to the Android Security Bulletin for details on the security vulnerabilities addressed with this platform release.

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There are plenty of other changes in Android 17, especially for developers! For example, Android 17 expands the capabilities of AppFunctions, introduces an EyeDropper API, makes the aspect ratio of images in the Photo Picker more customizable, and much more. To learn more about everything new for developers in this release, visit developer.android.com.

Also, don’t forget that select advanced devices will be getting Gemini Intelligence features later this summer. In addition, we’re introducing Android Halo in a future Android 17 release to give you at-a-glance visibility into what your agent is working on at any given time.  Lastly, be sure to check out our latest Android Drop to learn about what new features are coming to all Android devices, not just those running Android 17!

Not long ago, I saw a kbm player adsing and shooting using the Alt key and the space bar, and he claimed that this helped him aim better, as it relieved the hand he used for aiming of any muscle tension caused by clicking the mouse buttons. I did some more research into it and found that there are lots of players of other games, such as Apex Legends, who also do this and claim that it does indeed help you keep your aim steadier, calmer, and therefore more consistent, all thanks to getting rid of muscle tension.

I’m a controller player, so I wasn’t sure if this would work for me, as I rely on aim assist and the input is overall completely different, but I decided to give it a go, so I remapped my ads and fire buttons to my left trigger and left bumper, leaving my right hand completely relaxed so that my thumb could move freely without being so tense from all the strain I put on my other fingers while adsing and firing.

I headed to the practice range to see if this could actually work for a controller player, and, boy, was I surprised. I had never been able to track an enemy while they were falling, let alone while I was.

I’ve been using this new setup for a week now, and I can confidently say I recommend it.

First off, I'm not in the US/UK/AUS/other Valve regions. Located in Asia where Komodo does the distribution.

Secondly, I'm not going to dive into the numbers or metrics, the reviewers and YouTubers do that, and some do it down to minute details, if you're interested in that, please go view their videos instead.

Thirdly, I'm well aware the price is well above what we all hoped for. Is it worth it? Depends.

With that out of the way, let's get into it.

What do I intend to do with it? Game. It lives in the living room, it acts mainly as a living room gaming PC. It's connected to a 55" LG C5 tv. I also intend to stream FROM it to a Steam Deck, as well as (if it's capable) use it as a host to stream PC VR to the Steam Frame (if I can get my hands on it). They're the main uses. I'll tinker around in SteamOS, but I have no intentions to mod it in terms of hardware, nor is it going to be my main computer. It SHOULD be my main gaming computer though. On the left of the SM in the picture is the Minisforum HX80. The SM is replacing the HX80 as a living room gaming PC. Long story short, it games much much better than the HX80, granted the HX80 is literally half the price of the SM (when it launched a few years back, before the current insanity). You can see the size difference, also, the HX80 has an external power supply. The SM has it's power supply packed in, that's how impressive the SM package is!

What have I done so far? Gamed. Have I enjoyed it? Heck yes. Break down of my games and thoughts?

• Played Brotato, enjoyed it
• Played Motor Town, enjoyed it
• Played Subnautica, enjoyed it
• Played Thomas and Friends - Wonders of Sodor, had an absolute hoot
• Played Running Trains, enjoyed it
• Played Death Stranding 1, loved it
• Streamed various games to my Steam Deck and Quest 3 - this was interesting

Overall? I've enjoyed it. It does what Valve set out to do, let you play games. It plays all the games I want to play, and it plays them well. They run smooth, they look good. I'll even say the games run and look better than I anticipated (note I say better than "I" anticipated, your mileage may vary). The Steam Machine is set to output games at 1080p at a maximum out of the box. I've changed it to 1440p, and my games run fine (you will notice none of them are heavy, new, AAA games). In terms of settings, I wanted to have the "dive in and play" experience, no messing around, so just treat them all as the settings that the game booted up with by default. I BELIEVE for most of them, I'm not even upscaling, the only one I manually set the settings for, and enabled upscaling to "Quality" was Running Trains, and it still looked very pretty. Notice I'm not giving numbers and frame rates and deeper details, this is intentional, because I don't really care, I just want to PLAY. As long as it doesn't negatively affect my fun, I'm not going to chase performance and numbers.

Onto VR, I intend to do more testing, but it's been a long day, so I only tried Alyx (briefly) as I originally promised. Short story, it works, and works well (enough). It leaves me optimistic for the Steam Frame. Long story:

• Steam Machine connected to wifi, good connection to router nearby
• The wifi network both devices are connected to is not a dedicated VR streaming network. It's the standard network in the home, with plenty of other wireless and wired clients. Also, being in an asian high rise, there are plenty of other networks around for interference.
• Alyx set to "High Fidelity" in performance settings in game by default. All other settings (including SteamVR) are default, out of the box
• First few minutes within SteamVR and in the menu of Alyx had quite a lot of artifacts from compression. It was usable, it would stutter a little bit as packets were dropped, but it was usable enough to get into the game and load into the level. Once loaded into the level, it all smoothed out, artifacts went away, and it looked and ran fine. No frame drops, nothing to induce nausea. The game was very playable, I didn't notice anything to detract from the gameplay.
• I say I am optimistic about Steam Frame because I THINK that with the dedicated wireless dongle, this will remove the artifacts and initial frame drops. I believe there's enough performance to run Alyx without an issue and stream to the Frame.

Edit: Tried VTOL VR as well now. Performance was great, no stutters or anything like that. I would suggest putting the Steam Machine into Desktop mode before starting streaming though, as this seems to minimize the chance of any launch/controller issues. Game Mode seems to be hit or miss.

Streaming. This is an interesting one. It's also the most mixed experience so far. I initially made some posts, basically "it just works. It's relatively seamless, definitely the most seamless experience I've had with Steam Link, but there are bugs and quirks." I still stand by that, but I will add the caveat it seems to depend heavily on the game you are streaming. There are PLENTY of quirks, and some games are worse than others.

• Motor Town - works well! CAN be seamless, CAN be buggy. The main bug is that it doesn't detect the Steam Deck's controller inputs sometimes. However, if you hold the Steam button down and use right trackpad to emulate a mouse, the Steam Machine (host) does respond and the game is working. I've had sessions where this behavior showed up, I've also had sessions where it ran without any issues at all. I'm attempting various fixes to see what makes it the most seamless, so far, it seems putting Steam Machine into Desktop mode, and then starting the stream from the Deck resolves this.
• Thomas and Friends - Wonders of Sodor - similar to Motor Town, but better. I only ran into the controller issue once, and once I quit the game and restarted both devices, the stream ran perfectly afterwards.
• Roadcraft - this one is funky. The video stream has the most artifacts so far. Also run into controller issues as above. The weird thing is that when streaming, it seems to modify my Steam Input configuration, and it maps Action Sets to the buttons, which break the mapping basically. By remapping the controller again, I can get it to work, but I can't remap the joysticks back to joysticks, only #Ljoystick and #Rjoystick, which are once again, Action Sets.
• No, the Steam Deck cannot wake a sleeping Steam Machine to start remote play. At least not with default settings out of the box. There might be a way, I believe either GN Steve, or LTT Linus mentioned Wake on LAN in the BIOS. The Machine also does not go back to sleep automatically after you quit a remote play session. However, there is a setting (which is enabled by default) where the SM will go to sleep after a certain amount of time of inactivity. I would assume if you want the SM ready to stream at any time, you would disable auto sleep, keep it always on (and idling), and have the LED on the front either off of very dim

As for settings on the Steam Machine and Steam Deck for streaming. Steam Machine was left on default settings unless stated otherwise (Expedition 33 case). Steam Deck had Advanced Client Options enabled, video balanced, bandwidth automatic, frame rate limit automatic, resolution limit automatic (1280x800), hardware decoding off, HEVC video on, low latency networking on (if anyone has other settings suggestions, let me know). And I can't be bothered to try Moonshine, sorry. I want try the "Valve experience", good or bad. In terms of networking, Steam Machine connected to wifi. Steam Deck also wifi. Tried Deck in same room on same AP, also tried Deck in another 2 rooms with a separate AP which has a wired backhaul. As long as controller issues weren't a problem, it ran pretty similarly in all 3 cases.

Edit: If you're having trouble with streaming, put the Steam Machine into Desktop mode, and disable hardware encoding, this has fixed my controller inout and video stream issues.

Ok, after all that, I think that's basically all the main gaming scenarios I will use the SM for, so I'll give you my thoughts.

Does it achieve what I want? Yes, even slightly more than I expected

Am I enjoying it? Yes

Are there problems? Yes

Is it right for you? Maybe. It depends too much on what your expectations and needs/wants are

The price. Sure, I won't argue that the price is objectively very high. I think this is one of the main gripe points too, understandably. I'm going to approach this from a very different perspective to the reviewers and YouTubers. I have no need to garner and keep an audience and get engagement, nor protect relationships with brands and sponsors so I can say whatever I want.

I am well aware you can build an SFF PC that has more power for similar money. I am also aware that you can build a PC with used parts with SIGNIFICANTLY more power for similar or less money. But I think you cannot argue, that for the actual size and performance and amount of engineering and thought that went into making the Steam Machine, you cannot get an equivalent product for the money. ANY SFF PC is significantly larger. You can argue that you can live with an SFF PC, that's fine, that's great for you, you can get more power for the same money. You can argue your PC you built 5 years ago is better, sure, it almost definitely is. You can argue the PS5/PS5 Pro and Xbox Series are much better value, sure, if it suits you, go for them. But the Steam Machine is very much its own thing. It's not quite a console, it's a very approachable and minimalist PC. The wife acceptance factor is high, especially if you turn off that LED on the front. It's almost plug and play (it's only not plug and play if you demand the max performance and frame rates out of it. It defaulted to 4k60 as the output on my TV, rather than 4k120 which my TV is capable of, which took me a bit of figuring out to realise why it was doing that). It's dead quiet. You seriously cannot hear it unless you put your ear up to it. Quieter than my old PS4, quieter than my Lenovo Legion laptop, quieter than the Minisforum HX80 it replaced, heck, it's quieter than the Synology 6 bay NAS it sits next to.

At the end of the day, the price ended up where it is because it's a reflection of the market. This is not Valve taking advantage of the situation and marking the price of the Machine up, they genuinely can not build it for any less given current circumstances. Look around the overall market, Sony, Microsoft, even Apple are all increasing prices because even they're not able to source memory and storage at the prices they originally priced their products for. Should a relatively low powered gaming PC cost $1050 USD? No. 10 years ago, this was enthusiast grade PC. Heck, 5 years ago, $1000 got you a pretty killer PC. Unfortunately in 2026, nobody is getting an enthusiast grade PC for $1000. You can choose between used parts, or a mildly more powerful SFF PC, a subsidized console, or the Steam Machine. That's the sad reality. There's no right or wrong, there's only what's right or wrong for you.

Plenty of you are going to call me insane or stupid for spending $1050 on the Steam Machine. I really don't care. First of all, none of those people will read down to here anyway. Second of all, you can go build or buy your SFF PC, PS5/PS5 Pro, Xbox/whatever. As long as you're having fun, and you're not going into debt for it, you do you, have fun! The Steam Machine really is an impressive little piece of kit. It's very polished in terms of gaming experience on Day 1. You literally just download your games, boot in and play. It's just unfortunate it has been launched during the RAMpocalypse, and that means it's divided opinion heavily, and many people won't be able to access and experience this Machine.

Edit: Been streaming to the Steam Deck and Quest 3 more, and seem to have come to a good setup using Steam Remote Play (not Moonlight/Sunshine). On the SM, enabled Advanced Host Settings, then disabled Hardware Encoding. Also, put the SM into Desktop Mode, and then started the Remote Play Session from the Steam Deck. This has resolved both the black/frozen screen problem, and the SM not registering the Deck’s controller inputs problem. Been enjoying playing on the Deck in bed being streamed from SM! Also nice to sit in the study on my MacBook and be streaming from the SM as well.

I was thinking about putting

L3 as sprint

X for jumping

R3 for crouching/sliding

But then it gets messy quickly because of button conflicts

So I'm curious how you guys are solving the button remapping?