Google Play GPU driver updates for Google Pixel 4, Galaxy S10 and Note 10 in development

Qualcomm is one of the largest Android chipset manufacturers in the world. Last year they announced the Snapdragon 865 processor that we are seeing in this year’s flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20, iQOO 3, and the upcoming OnePlus 8 series phones. However, apart from announcing the Snapdragon 865 chipset, Qualcomm also announced last year that the GPU drivers on the smartphones will be updated via the Google Play Store. And now, in a recent Google for Games Developer Summit, Qualcomm has shed some more light on this development.

It has been revealed that the Google Pixel 4 units will be the first devices to get the GPU updates via the Google Play Store. Moreover, Google has also announced an Android GPU inspector to simplify the process of building games. This tool will give details regarding the game’s render stages and GPU counter which was previously not available.

Talking about the Android GPU Inspector, Google in its keynote stated:

Our new Android GPU Inspector enables you to look deeply into an Android GPU and see detailed information about your game’s render stages and GPU counters. Now graphics engineers are empowered with information and insights to optimize their game for better frame rates and more battery life. Apply for the developer preview and watch the session.

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This will not only make it easy to optimize the games according to the GPU drivers but also make it easier for the developers to suggest driver enhancements and optimizations to Qualcomm directly which then, can be sent over via an update. All these improvements will be sent over to the end-user as an update via the Google Play Store. Moreover, Qualcomm also announced that they are currently-collaborating on upgrading GPU drivers for the Snapdragon 855 powered phones like Pixel 4, Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note 10. Other devices are soon to be added to this list.