The Google Play Store, in limited instances, allows the preview of apps before users finally decide to download. Soon, the same could be experienced for mobile games as reports suggested that possibly starting with the release of Android 12, gamers would be able to play select titles without the need to fully download the required files.
Such a scenario was hinted by a recent enhancement discovered in the Linux kernel, which will soon support the Incremental File System. When this feature gets implemented, it will allow the "execution of a program while its binary and resource files are still being lazily downloaded over the network or USB."
According to XDA Developers, the real-world application will see the "running of big Android apps before their binaries and resources are fully downloaded to an Android device."
It is believed that the feature is currently on the testing phase, and the earliest targeted deployment will be timed with the release of Android 12, which is expected to debut in the second half of 2021.
While there is a chance that the development of the feature can be fast-tracked as a working version was reportedly being tested on the Google Pixel 4 XL, the final phase will not be rushed to achieve a smooth implementation. It could be that a final beta is already available, but Google will want a perfect version to come out.
So it makes sense that the realistic target date for the Android feature to go live is in the middle part of next year.
For the feature to work, WCCFTech said it would require the downloading of data packets for an application to initiate then batches of files will be copied as well for the actual launch and run of the same application.
"If some block hasn't fully downloaded, filler blocks will be loaded in advance, so that the application doesn't stop dead in its tracks," the report added.
The feature will arrive at a time that applications, especially mobile games, are being released with heavy loads. For instance, the recent deployment of the "Call Of Duty: Mobile" was marked by a required file download of 2GB, which for many users in other parts of the world is a hassle and the chief reason is the slow internet connectivity, and it is still the norm for the majority of online gamers.
In the coming years, the size of mobile game releases will most likely become heavier, so the planned feature by Google will be welcome and more so if indeed the arrival will take place as early as next year.
