Google Upgrades Android for a More Immersive Gaming Experience

Google is ramping up its gaming strategy, aiming to capture the vast audience of players across different platforms, just like other tech giants.

Android is now transitioning to a modern rendering stack with Vulkan at its core. This cross-platform API replaces OpenGL, giving developers greater control over the graphics processing unit (GPU).

One of the first games benefiting from Vulkan’s capabilities is Diablo Immortal by Blizzard, featuring stunning visual effects thanks to ray tracing. Even less action-packed titles, like Pokemon TCG, will see optimized graphics and smoother performance across a wide range of devices.

With Android 16, Vulkan will become the default graphics API. Games currently running on OpenGL will use ANGLE, a system driver that translates OpenGL calls to Vulkan. Developers are encouraged to start testing their games with ANGLE now to ensure a smooth transition.

Google is also collaborating with major game engines to streamline Vulkan integration. Unity 6 will allow developers to configure Vulkan on a per-device basis, while older versions can access this functionality through plugins.

Dynamic Performance Optimization

Another major improvement is the upgrade to Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF), enabling real-time performance adjustments based on the device's thermal state.

ADPF is designed to work across various devices, including the Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 series. Additionally, Google’s partnership with MediaTek will enhance performance optimizations for devices using its chipsets.

Developers can now monitor game performance via Play Console, which includes a Low Memory Killers (LMK) tab in Android Vitals. This feature helps identify memory-related issues that may cause game crashes.

Bringing PC Games to Android

Google is also launching a new initiative to simplify porting PC games to Android. The first titles making the jump are DREDGE and TABS Mobile, with the critically acclaimed Disco Elysium set to arrive later this year.