Google Pixel 10 to get a GPU driver update to improve graphics performance

Google will roll out a GPU driver update for the Pixel 10 series after growing complaints about sluggish graphics performance on the latest Tensor G5-based devices. The phone launched with Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU but shipped with an older driver build that predates Android 16 and Vulkan 1.4 support. The mismatch has been blamed for poor frame stability in games, lower than expected benchmark results, and UI rendering issues.

Pixel 10 users on Reddit traced the problem to the bundled v24.3 GPU driver, while Imagination released a newer v25.1 build around launch with broader platform support. Despite multiple monthly updates since release, the newer driver has not been deployed, and the Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.1 build still references the older stack.

In a statement shared with Android Authority, Google said it “is continuing to improve driver quality” and plans “further GPU driver updates” in upcoming releases. The company also noted that the September and October patches carried some driver improvements, but users have not reported any visible uplift in performance.

Google has previously delivered GPU driver upgrades on Pixels via system updates, and those pushes historically improved rendering speed and stability. The delay this cycle has drawn criticism given the scale of the Pixel 10’s GPU regressions, which in some tests trail even the Pixel 9.