Your Galaxy S11 graphics driver updates may come from… the Play store
Qualcomm really nailed it with the new high-end Snapdragon 865, what with the 144Hz display support, 200MP camera modules, and multi-mode 5G that can be had in dual SIM configurations, too.
That’s not to mention the usual performance and battery life bumps we get from the move to a new production method like Samsung’s 7nm EUV that the 865 will be made on.
As if to mark that Snapdragon 865 begins a new era in its mobile processor timeline, Qualcomm has decided to issue… mobile GPU driver updates… via the Play Store.
Wait, what? That’s right, in the spirit of Google’s project to make all Android updates more modular hence faster, Qualcomm will start offering graphics subsystem driver updates as easy as downloading one from the Play Store, tips David Ruddock.
Of course, these will first be offered to manufacturers with the requirement to test the new drivers against their specific hardware/software combo but still, we won’t have to wait from one flagship chipset release to another to enjoy the best of new game features or compatibility.
Unfortunately, Qualcomm’s new mobile-GPU-driver-update-as-a-service endeavor won’t be backwards compatible with older phones, so if you want to enjoy it first, you’d have to shell out for a premium handset with Snapdragon 865 or later inside.