Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Fortnite Android Exclusivity Confirmed
Epic Games is planning to port Fortnite Mobile over to Android, though the question is when will it finally happen? There have been rumors that it make an exclusive debut on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 9 handset, then roll out to other Android devices sometime after. While that has never been corroborated by Epic Games or Samsung, there is new evidence that seemingly confirms that will be the case.
The folks at XDA Developers obtained access to the Fortnite Mobile on Android installer APK and promptly dug through the package. They decompiled and analyzed the package, labeled as Fortnite version 5.20, and found that there are checks in place to ensure the game will only run on devices that Epic Games has whitelisted.
It is among several checks contained in the package to make sure that Fornite Mobile is able to run. Some of the checks include ones for the mobile GPU, device manufacturer, device model, and so forth. When the developers tried to install the game on devices like the Essential Phone and Google Pixel 2 XL, it failed some of the checks and would not boot past the splash screen.
There is a specific check to see if the device's brand, codename, and list of features matches that of the unreleased Galaxy Note 9. Specifically, it performs the following checks:
- ro.vendor.product.device = starts with "crown"
- ro.vendor.product.brand = "samsung"
- SEC_FLOATING_FEATURE_COMMON_SUPPORT_BLE_SPEN, a Samsung-specific feature for the Bluetooth-enabled S Pen found only on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Fortnite is already available on iOS, and of course PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. It's also available on the Nintendo Switch. It is free to install and play, though users can make in-game purchases, which has proven highly lucrative for Epic Games.
As for the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung is expected to unveil the handset during its Unpacked event on August 9.
