Google has never received good reviews for its in-house Tensor chip in previous generations, but this year, according to a gaming test using the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, things seem to be particularly bad.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL in gaming testing
Mountain View previously held a “Made by Google” launch event on August 13 this year. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the four new Google Pixel 9 smartphones. The total four models include: Pixel 9, 9 Pro, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
These devices feature the new Tensor G4 chip, but it seems to inherit some of the known issues from its predecessor, particularly when it comes to performance and temperature. Despite high expectations, the Tensor G4 processor turns out to throttle performance under load to avoid overheating.
To see how this performance limitation would impact real-world usage scenarios, YouTube user DameTech The Pixel 9 Pro XL was put through a gaming test. It ran the exciting open-world role-playing game “Genshin Impact” at the highest graphics settings. This game is known for its heavy demands on hardware performance and is also used in our GO2mobile tests to test the hardware capabilities of smartphones.
Worse than Google Pixel 7 Pro
After just a few seconds, it became clear that the Pixel 9 Pro XL was throttling its performance, similar to the benchmark tests. The device achieved an average frame rate of just 32 frames per second (fps) after just three minutes of gaming. Over the 9-minute test, the average frame rate was 39.2 fps. That’s even lower than the average frame rate of its predecessor, Google Pixel 7 Pro* With Tensor G2 chip achieving 45.3 fps.
Compared to other leading companies such as Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra*and that Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max* Pixel 9 Pro XL performs worse. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers 31 percent better performance, while the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers 51 percent better performance.
Interestingly, the Pixel didn’t get as hot as its competitors during testing. After 9 minutes of gaming, the device reached 37 degrees Celsius, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra reached 40 and 43 degrees Celsius, respectively. The relatively low temperatures suggest that the Tensor G4 SoC (system on a chip) is designed to reduce performance to control temperature and avoid overheating.
While the Tensor G4 has improved in raw performance over its predecessors, Google seems to be aiming to strike a balance between performance and thermal management. This could explain why the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers better battery life, as it intentionally throttles performance in certain situations to reduce power consumption.
Google Pixel 8a vs Honor 200 Pro in camera test
[Quelle: DameTech]
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