Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A Google spokesperson confirmed to Android Authority that the company is planning further GPU driver updates for the Pixel 10 lineup.
- While the statement sounds reassuring, it’s unclear whether Google is committing to a major graphics update.
- Phone makers do improve graphics performance through periodic updates, but major GPU updates can be rare.
Google has confirmed that the Pixel 10 will receive GPU driver updates in the future. In response to Android Authority’s query about potential driver updates for the Pixel 10‘s Imagination GPU, a Google spokesperson said:
We are continuing to improve driver quality in our monthly and quarterly system updates. For example, the most recent September and October patch releases included driver improvements. In future releases we are planning further GPU driver updates.
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However, Google’s statement still leaves plenty of uncertainty about what kind of improvements users can actually expect.
While it sounds reassuring that Google is committed to improving the Pixel 10’s GPU performance, the company’s response seems pretty standard. Phone makers do improve graphics performance through periodic updates, but major GPU updates can be rare. What users are really hoping for is a major GPU driver upgrade for the Pixel 10 lineup, not just minor maintenance updates like the ones Google issued in its recent patches. From the above statement, it’s unclear whether a whole new driver version is on the cards.
The Pixel 10 ships with an Imagination PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU running driver version 24.3, which is now several months old. Imagination released a newer driver (v25.1) in August that adds Android 16 compatibility, Vulkan 1.4 support, and other performance improvements. But Google hasn’t yet rolled out this update to the Pixel 10 series.
The delay has frustrated some Pixel 10 owners, especially since popular games like Genshin Impact dropped support for PowerVR GPUs earlier this year. Reports about the Pixel 10’s GPU performance issues have also been surfacing across Reddit and other forums.
Google usually bundles GPU driver updates with major software releases or Pixel Drops. The next Pixel Drop is expected in December, so we’ll have to wait and watch if Google will push the big PowerVR driver update everyone wants.
We had asked Google for a timeframe for future driver updates, but the company did not provide further details.
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