Google’s Pixel 10 series smartphones have received a graphics driver update, now fully supporting Vulkan 1.4 for smoother gaming performance.

Tech media Android Authority reported today (December 18) that with the release of Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1, Google has updated the GPU drivers for the Pixel 10 series, adding support for Vulkan 1.4 and further enhancing gaming performance.

This update fulfills Google’s promise made in October, focusing on optimizing the Imagination PowerVR GPU in the Pixel 10 series. The driver version has been upgraded from 1.602.400 to 1.634.2906, with the system driverInfo version updated to 25.1.

The new driver not only improves compatibility with Android 16 at the system level but also supports Vulkan 1.4 (conformanceVersion 1.4.1.0), theoretically enabling smoother performance in high-load games and graphics-intensive applications.

Vulkan is an efficient graphics API, serving as the “communication language” between games and GPUs. Version 1.4 allows games to utilize GPU capabilities more effectively, usually resulting in better graphics quality or smoother frame rates.

At launch, the Pixel 10 series faced compatibility issues due to older PowerVR drivers, with some developers (such as the Genshin Impact team) temporarily halting hardware-specific optimizations, leading to unstable gaming performance. While Google gradually improved performance through QPR2 updates, the major driver update in QPR3 Beta indicates that Google is aiming to address the issue at its root.

Although the new driver shows impressive specifications, whether it will directly translate into higher game frame rates remains uncertain, as Google has not released any specific details.