Pixel Fold Gaming Review: Why This Folding Phone Fails Gamers

As someone who used to run Best Buy's mobile department, upgrading phones yearly was literally my job. Sticking with my Pixel 4XL since pre-pandemic felt like torture 😩. When Google finally unveiled the Pixel Fold at I/O 2023, I instantly bought this futuristic foldable with its glorious 7.6-inch display. It’s cutting-edge, niche, and unlike anything else—a tech lover’s dream! But for gaming? Absolute nightmare fuel 🔥. Let me break down why this $1,800 beauty is a gamer’s worst enemy.

📱 The Unfolded Screen: A Bizarre Aspect Ratio Disaster

The Pixel Fold’s inner screen has a weirdly square 1.2:1 aspect ratio (2208x1840)—even squarer than old 4:3 CRT TVs! Modern games? They either get brutally cropped or drown in black bars. Testing Game Pass and Steam Link was painful:

• 40% screen loss 😱: Games shrink into the center, surrounded by thick bezels + empty space.

• Touch controls cover half the view 👆: Thumbs block what little gameplay is visible.

• Uncomfortable grip 🤲: Holding this brick while squinting at a postage-stamp-sized game? No thanks!

🎮 Mobile Games? Broken UI & Missing Game Elements

Many games auto-adjust to phone screens—but on the Fold, this backfires spectacularly. Take Pokémon Unite:

• Quarter-inch cropped on ALL sides 📏

• Map objectives completely invisible at the top 🗺️

• Buttons half-off screen 🎯, making critical moves impossible

You’re basically playing blindfolded while opponents dominate. Competitive disadvantage? Understatement of the year 🥲.

🎮 Controllers? Forget About It!

Thinking a mobile controller saves the day? Think again:

Closed-screen gaming feels like playing on a budget phone from 2018—cramped and jarring.

💡 The ONE Silver Lining: DS/3DS Emulation

Here’s where the Fold shines ✨: Its square-ish screen perfectly mimics the Nintendo DS/3DS! Emulating classics feels magical:

• Dual-screen layout fits naturally 📱📱

• Runs demanding 3DS titles like Monster Hunter and Resident Evil: Revelations smoothly 🦖

• Physical book-like fold adds nostalgia 📖

But paying $1,800 for an emulation machine? Unless you’re a die-hard Pokémon breeder, that’s hard to justify 💸.

🚨 Final Verdict: Gamers, STAY AWAY!

Two years later in 2025, the Pixel Fold remains a gaming disaster:

🔥 Unforgivable flaws:

• Cropped gameplay

• Unusable touch controls

• Controller incompatibility

🎯 Who’s it for? Productivity nerds who love split-screening Gmail + Chrome. Not us gamers.

I suffered so you don’t have to. Want a foldable for gaming? Get a Galaxy Z Fold. Want raw power? Go iPhone 16 Pro. This Pixel Fold? It’s a beautiful, expensive mistake 😭.