Google Pixels have long been praised for many features, but performance especially in gaming hasn’t typically been one of them. While everyday tasks might feel smooth, the performance struggles become apparent when gaming. The Tensor SoCs, while impressive in many ways, haven’t been known for excelling in performance-heavy tasks like gaming. However, with the release of Android 16 Beta 3, Google Pixel phones are receiving a significant GPU performance boost.
Earlier today, reports from Google Pixel users on the r/pixel_phones (subreddit) surfaced, highlighting a massive boost in GPU benchmarks following the Android 16 Beta 3 update. Users are reporting an impressive 25% to 60% increase in Geekbench 6 GPU scores across all Tensor-powered Pixel devices. Among them, the Google Pixel 7a stands out with the most significant performance boost, nearly doubling its compute score.
The Pixel 8 and 9 series also saw a notable increase, with performance rising up to 32%. The Pixel 6 series saw the smallest boost at 23% (in Vulcan), though still a notable improvement. We tested these claims on the Pixel 6, 7a, and 9 Pro XL, and sure enough, the GPU benchmark results confirmed the significant improvement.
While many users are attributing the performance boost to Android 16 Beta 3, Android expert Mishaal Rahman suggests the credit might partly go to the updated ARM Mali GPU drivers that Google has included with the update.
Google has upgraded the Mali GPU Kernel driver to version r52p0, released in October last year. This could be a major factor in the noticeable performance gains. However, the real-life impact of these drivers has yet to be fully tested.
Since the release of Android 16 Beta 3, users have reported smoother animations, improved UI flow, and tighter haptics, with the Pixel 9 series showing the most noticeable haptic improvements.
What do you think about Google enhancing the graphics capabilities of the Tensor SoCs? Have you tested it out yourself? Share your experience and the differences you’ve noticed in the comments below!
