Summary

  • Android users can now use controllers in Genshin Impact after four year wait.
  • Controller support is not enabled by default and requires manual adjustment in the game’s settings.
  • Despite some drawbacks, controller support brings parity to the Android version of Genshin Impact.

Genshin Impact was updated this week to version 5.5, known as the Day of the Flame’s Return, bringing with it new areas, new characters, and even a product tie-in with Ugreen and some themed peripherals that look pretty slick. But one of the biggest features to drop is one few are talking about, and that’s the arrival of controller support for the Android version of Genshin Impact.

While iOS received controller support with version 1.3 back in 2021, the feature has been absent from Android this entire time. So, four years after Genshin’s release and three years since iOS received controller support, Android players can now use a physical controller with Genshin Impact, a feature we’ve been desperate to see for some time, and it’s finally here.

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Android gamers can now play Genshin Impact with a controller

Better late than never

genshin impact playing on phone with controller connected held in hand

After four long years, controller support is finally available in the Android port of Genshin Impact. Bluetooth and USB connections are supported, so whether you want to play wirelessly or corded, the choice is yours. However, controller support isn’t on by default, and plugging a controller into your Android device won’t turn it on. This means you’ll have to dip into Genshin’s settings to change from touch controls to physical controller support.

At the very least, when you boot up without a controller attached to your device, the controls revert back to the default touchscreen setting. Still, every time you connect a controller, you’ll have to toggle support in-game, and when a controller is connected to the game, the touchscreen stops working, which is a little annoying.

Clearly, there were some compromises when adding controller support to the Android version of Genshin Impact, and even though the game controls as expected, the missing polish is noticeable, perhaps explaining why it took four years to bring support to the Android version when every other port has supported controllers for ages.

So no, Genshin’s new controller support on Android isn’t perfect, but it is good enough to play the game from the comfort of a controller like you would on any other platform, and that parity is appreciated, even if the execution could use a bit more love and care. Ideally, the developer HoYoverse will clean things up as new updates drop. Until then, have fun running around Natlan as you explore Day of the Flame’s Return.