Google Pixel 8 series gaming performance receives big boost, courtesy of first Feature Drop update

HIGHLIGHTS

• Google Pixel 8 is updating the ARM Mali’s kernel driver to a more recent build.
• The kernel driver is updated to r44p1, which was released on October 11th 2023 from r38p1, released on August 18, 2022.
• Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro customers report improved gaming and general performance of the phones.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launched in October, and ship with the in-house Tensor G3 chipset. However, the performance of the phones faced a lot of heat from consumers to experts alike. The phones struggled to keep up during gaming, especially with titles like Genshin Impact. The performance was hardly any different from its predecessors.

However, the Mountain View giant is trying to fix the issues to a large extent with the December 2023 Pixel Feature drop. The new update is said to boost the CPU performance significantly.

Pixel 8 performance reportedly improved

• Courtesy of the latest update, Google is updating the ARM Mali’s kernel driver to a more recent build.
• The kernel driver is updated to r44p1 (which was released on October 11th 2023) from r38p1, released on August 18, 2022.
• As per the early feedback, it appears the update brings a huge jump in gaming performance.

• One of the Pixel 8 users reports that the phone’s frame rate in Genshin Impact’s Fontaine city jumped from ~20-25fps to 45+fps, all without any excessive heating.
• YouTuber TechDroider notes a similar jump in the gaming performance as Pixel 8 is now able to run Fortnite at a stable 60fps on the highest graphics settings.
• Google is bundling the new ARM Driver with Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1.1 as well.
• While the GPU performance may not be as good as the Adreno GPU inside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (which powers phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11), this is still a decent performance boost.

• Google is rolling out the new Mali GPU driver to all Tensor-based Pixels. While this might not result in the same level of performance boost as the Pixel 8, there should be reasonable improvements.
• We believe the GPU driver update might also help with lags and jitters troubling the Pixel 8 series owners since launch. Either way, if you are into serious smartphone gaming, the Pixel 8 series might not be suitable for you compared to the competition but thanks to the December update, the regular performance should see noticeable improvements.

Key Specs

Google Pixel 8

Google Tensor G3 | 8 GBProcessor

6.2 inches (15.75 cm)Display

50 MP + 12 MPRear camera

10.5 MPSelfie camera

4575 mAhBattery

• The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro start at Rs 75,999 and Rs 1,06,999, respectively, in India.
• Both devices are now available in the 256GB variant too, thanks to the addition of this storage variant to the Pro lineup.
• Google Pixel 8 series is available through Flipkart in India and is currently on discounts with SBI credit cards.
• Google has silently added a better storage option for its new Google Pixel 8 Proa month after its debut. A new 256GB variant of the device is now listed on Flipkart. This move comes after enthusiasts heavily demanded for the storage variant to be available in India. Here is the pricing of the device.

·        Google Pixel 8 Pro 256GB variant is Google’s most expensive phone in India

• Google Pixel 8 Pro has now been listedon Flipkart with a 256GB variant option. It costs Rs 1,13,999 in the country. A slight caveat is that this variant is only available in a single Obsidian colour option. To recall, the 128GB model of the device launched at Rs. 1,06,999 with Obsidian and Bay colour options.
• Both ROM variants come with the same 12GB RAM. Google still has offers going on the device, with both variants being available at a Rs 9,000 discount through SBI credit cardpurchase and a Rs 4,000 exchange bonus.
• The brand has made a move in the right direction with the introduction of a 256GB storage variant of Pixel 8 Pro in India, albeit at the cost of early adopters as those who bought the device during the pre-order period had no indications of this happening. It was already unusual that the more affordable Google Pixel 8had this variant but not the flagship Pro model.