The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is supposed to represent the best of Google’s hardware and AI, but a recent video shared on X shows it struggling badly. The clips show the device running Genshin Impact with constant stutters, flickering, and lag. The game is barely playable, and even simple actions take a moment to respond. For a flagship that costs over a thousand dollars, the performance is comparable to a low-end to mid-range handset.
Google’s flagship Pixel 10 Pro XL fails to handle Genshin Impact smoothly, highlighting the Tensor G5 chip’s gaming shortcomings
The main issue lies with the Tensor G5 chip, which Google built with TSMC and focuses heavily on AI and camera processing instead of raw power. The trade-off works fine for daily tasks, but once the phone is pushed with a demanding game like Genshin Impact, the performance collapses fast.
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL and the Tensor G5 chip are far inferior to Apple’s A19 Pro chip or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, both of which deliver smooth frame rates and stable temperatures under heavy load. It was also found that the Tensor G5 has worse GPU performance than last year's Tensor G4 chip. Additionally, the performance comparison is so absurd that the Pixel 10 Pro performance stacks up behind the 5 year old iPhone 12 Pro Max. These devices can easily handle long gaming sessions, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL starts to throttle within minutes.
As you can see in the videos posted by Abhinov on X, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is struggling quite a bit, rendering the title incapable of being played like on a normal phone. The user tries to engage, but the constant frame stutter does not allow the character to be moved one bit. At some instances, the phone failed to register touch input, which basically means that the game was too graphics-intensive for the phone to handle.
The phone can be mistaken for having a faulty display, but upon closer inspection, we can see that the device fails to generate frames and displays a flickering image. However, the impact of the sheer performance was also visible in system elements where the user tried navigating through the Notification shade but failed to do so due to the constant screen flickering. We can safely presume that the device has been rendered useless, at least when the title is running.
It’s a familiar story for Tensor chips, as they have not been capable enough to handle demanding titles or compete against the likes of Apple’s A-series chips, as well as the Snapdragon-branded chips. However, the Pixel 10 Pro XL shines at AI-driven tasks, which include photo enhancement, voice processing, and real-time translation, but falls behind when it comes to performance-intensive tasks. Google appears to be prioritizing intelligence over raw speed, but this limitation is evident in gaming.
Do you think Google should focus more on raw performance with its Tensor chips or continue to push AI features instead?
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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