Owners of the Pixel 10 can look forward to more GPU enhancements in the future updates as Google aims to enhance the performance of the Tensor G5.
Key points to note:
– Google has announced it will provide regular GPU driver updates for the Pixel 10 series to enhance performance.
– The Tensor G5 chip operates cooler than its predecessor, yet still displays minimal performance improvements in high-end gaming evaluations.
– Users have experienced lag and freezes in titles like Genshin Impact, attributing it to outdated GPU drivers as the principal issue.
– The Pixel 10 is currently equipped with an older version of the GPU driver, but Google may soon introduce updated drivers.
Google has been criticized for rendering challenges with high-end games on the Pixel 10 series and for general graphics issues. The company has now confirmed it intends to issue GPU driver updates for the Pixel 10 lineup to enhance performance.
In a response to Android Authority, Google confirmed that monthly and quarterly system updates for the Pixel 10 series will continue to deliver GPU enhancements. The company noted that the patch releases for September and October already included GPU driver improvements. “In future releases, we are planning further GPU driver updates,” it stated to the publication.
Google shifted to TSMC for the Tensor G5 chipset in the Pixel 10 series, which theoretically should have resulted in significant enhancements. While thermal performance has improved compared to the previous generation, the overall performance gains with the Tensor G5 are not considerable.
GPU driver updates could enhance gaming performance on the Pixel 10.
Recently, some users reported that the Pixel 10 struggles with games such as Genshin Impact, showing notable lag and freezes. Fortunately, Google intends to roll out GPU driver updates that could provide crucial improvements in graphics performance.
For reference, the Tensor G5 chipset in the Pixel 10 features Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU, which theoretically delivers up to 1.5 TFLOPS FP32 performance. However, the Pixel 10’s performance still falls short compared to devices like the Galaxy S25 Ultra or OnePlus 13.
This is partly due to the Pixel 10 being shipped with outdated GPU drivers. Some users on Reddit noted that the Tensor G5 utilizes version 24.3 of the driver, which does not support Android 16.
Even though Imagination Technologies has released version v25.1, compatible with Android 16 and Vulkan 1.4, Google has not yet updated the drivers for the Pixel 10. This might explain why the Pixel 10 lags behind other flagship Android devices in gaming capability.
It’s possible that Google’s announcement regarding forthcoming GPU driver updates pertains to these newer versions, although the company has not shared a specific timeline. Unfortunately, even the recent Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.1 update does not feature these driver updates for the Pixel 10 series; thus, we may need to wait a little longer for significant enhancements.
