Google Pixel 10 Gets Long-Awaited GPU Drivers Update in New Android 16 Beta

Google has started rolling out the much-awaited GPU driver upgrade for the Pixel 10 series devices. The update follows a promise made by the company. The new update arrives with Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1. It brings a newer driver to the Pixel 10’s Imagination PowerVR GPU. The updated driver introduces up-to-date compatibility features.

Google Pixel 10 gets a GPU driver upgrade in the new software version

The latest Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 upgrades the Pixel 10 GPU driver from version 1.602.400 to 1.634.2906. The system now shows driverInfo version 25.1, matching the driver Imagination Technologies announced in August. It includes Android 16 compatibility, Vulkan 1.4 support, and several low-level improvements. Screenshots from the Hardware CapsViewer for the Vulkan app confirm the change on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. It displays a conformance version of 1.4.1.0.

The update was first noticed by a Discord user A_Button117 (via Android Authority). Anyway, since the Pixel 10 devices now officially support Vulkan 1.4, the devices should theoretically handle demanding games and graphics-heavy applications more efficiently. The newer version also increases the game compatibility. This should directly convert to fewer crashes and visual glitches. However, do not expect the raw frame rates to increase dramatically right now after the installation of the update.

The Pixel 10 series should handle games more effectively and efficiently

The latest update positions Pixel 10 devices closer to the modern Android graphics requirements. The game developers should now get a more consistent baseline when optimizing software for Google’s latest flagship hardware across future updates and releases in the coming months.

For reference, Pixel 10 was originally launched with an older PowerVR driver. Plus, it was during a time when support for Imagination GPUs faced scrutiny. Due to this, some game developers had reduced focus on this hardware. This led to user reports of inconsistent performance and graphics issues on the flagship. Well, several of these issues should be addressed with the new update.

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