Google’s Pixel 10 series could soon receive a major performance boost thanks to a newly-released GPU driver.
dpa/picture alliance via Getty ImagesKey TakeawaysSome Pixel 10 users have reported underperforming graphics and battery life.Google has confirmed it will release driver updates, potentially addressing these issues and unlocking the Pixel 10’s full potential.A new GPU driver update (version 25.2) is available that Google could deploy for significantly improved performance.
October 26 Update Below: A driver update may be essential for security reasons. This article was originally published on October 24
The Pixel 10 could soon receive a significant boost in performance, and potentially battery life, thanks to an upcoming graphics driver upgrade.
Reports indicate that the Pixel 10 series currently underperforms in graphics performance, notably scoring lower than the Pixel 9 Pro in some benchmark tests. The Pixel 10 series uses a PowerVR DXT-48-1536 GPU from Imagination Technologies, rather than the ARM Mali component found in previous models, which has led to complaints of poor performance, especially when playing popular, graphically intensive games such as Genshin Impact, and reduced battery life during video playback in apps like Netflix.
A primary cause of these performance issues appears to be an outdated GPU driver. The Pixel 10 shipped with driver version 24.3, lacking key features and optimizations necessary for the new GPU to reach its full potential. While it’s not unusual for a smartphone to ship with slightly older drivers, the switch from Mail to PowerVR appears to have exacerbated the issue.
A New GPU Driver Is Already Available
Fortunately, Imagination Technologies has since released driver version 25.2, adding official support for Android 16, along with significant performance enhancements, including support for the latest Vulkan 1.4 specification. That means this particular update could greatly benefit Pixel 10 users, and early indications suggest Google will most likely implement it.
Imagination Technology has already released an updated GPU driver that could significantly improve performance.
IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGY
A Google representative recently confirmed to Android Authority that the company plans to continue releasing GPU driver improvements in its regular system updates.
“We are continuing to improve driver quality in our monthly and quarterly system updates. For example, the most recent September and October patch releases included driver improvements. In future releases we are planning further GPU driver updates.”
Google has a strong track record in this area, having delivered a significant GPU performance boost for Pixel 8 Pro users in its December 2023 update, and several generations of Pixel smartphones received performance gains thanks to an updated GPU driver in the March 2025 Feature Drop. However, Google’s statement stops short of any commitment to any specific driver versions or performance benefits for the Pixel 10 range.
Google Pixel 10: Performance Upgrades Are Likely
If this pattern continues, Pixel 10 users can expect significant performance gains with future driver updates. Given that the new driver is already available from Imagination Technologies, we can hope it arrives sooner rather than later. For those currently experiencing graphics performance issues, a fix appears to be on the horizon.
October 26 Update: Existing vulnerabilities make a driver update extremely likely.
Driver updates typically offer not only performance improvements but also essential security patches, increasing the urgency of releasing updates.
The Pixel 10’s GPU driver is vulnerable, putting additional pressure on Google to provide an update.
According to Imagination Technologies’ published GPU Driver Vulnerabilities list, versions of the PowerVR GPU driver, up to and including version 24.3, currently deployed in the Pixel 10 series, contain critical vulnerabilities that could result in system instability, reboots and non-privileged access to secure data.
Addressing these vulnerabilities will be a high priority for Google, making a driver update urgent. Imagination Technologies doesn’t appear to have released any driver updates between versions 24.3 and 25.1, which fixes all of the listed vulnerabilities and adds most of the improvements listed in this article.
This means Google’s next Pixel 10 GPU driver update will likely be to least version 25.1, if not the latest version 25.2 released to partners on Oct 8. Pixel 10 Users can therefore expect significant improvements in performance, reliability and security once Google releases this update.
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