Samsung ‘exclusive’ on Fortnite for Android lasts just 3 days

Yes, technically Samsung does have an exclusive for Fortnite on Android, but gamers, don’t fear: This might be the shortest exclusive ever.

It lasts just three days. Yep, Samsung Galaxy devices will be the only Android devices that can play Fortnite… until Aug. 12. After that, all eligible Android devices will be able to sign up and play. 

Starting Thursday, though, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and newer phones will support Fortnite, and it looks like it should play pretty well. Android users have been waiting for a while; iOS, macOS, PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One users can already play. 

It seems the team at Epic Games has been fine-tuning the experience and likely increasing servers to handle the expected demand from Android users. Surprisingly, Fortnite will not be available in the Google Play store; instead, it will be side-loaded and installed in a slightly indirect way.

I think the strangest thing about this exclusive is that it won’t even last long enough for Galaxy Note 9 owners to take advantage of it. Samsung’s latest smartphone won’t land until Aug. 24, long after this exclusive runs dry. 

Even so, those who order a Note 9 by Aug. 23 can choose between a free pair of AKG headphones or 15,000 V-Bucks — Fortnite‘s in-game currency — as a perk of their new purchase. Customers who want both can get just that for $99. All owners of the Note 9 and the equally as new Tab S4, will get a Fortnite Galaxy Skin.

Fortnite for Android will support multiplayer with iOS, macOS, PC, Nintendo Switch, and the Xbox One. It will not support the PS4, which should be a surprise to no one since that platform doesn’t support cross-play in general. 

Epic Games will be supporting Fortnite on a relatively significant amount of Android devices at launch. Minimum specs for the game appear to be Android 5.0 or newer (running on 64-bit architecture), 3GB of RAM, and either Adreno 530 graphics (or higher) or Mali-G71 MP20, Mali-G72 MP12 graphics (or higher).

Phones that qualify include:

Samsung Galaxy: S7 / S7 Edge, S8 / S8+, S9 / S9+, Note 8, Note 9, Tab S3, Tab S4

Google: Pixel / Pixel XL, Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL

Asus: ROG Phone, Zenfone 4 Pro, 5Z, V

Essential: PH-1

Huawei: Honor 10, Honor Play, Mate 10 / Pro, Mate RS, Nova 3, P20 / Pro, V10

LG: G5, G6, G7 ThinQ, V20, V30 / V30+

Nokia: 8 OnePlus: 5 / 5T, 6

Razer: Phone

Xiaomi: Blackshark, Mi 5 / 5S / 5S Plus, 6 / 6 Plus, Mi 8 / 8 Explorer / 8SE, Mi Mix, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Note 2

ZTE: Axon 7 / 7s, Axon M, Nubia / Z17 / Z17s, Nubia Z11

For now, interested Android users can sign-up for the Android Beta from Fortnite directly. Samsung owners should enjoy the short-lived exclusive, and good luck in the battle royale.