Google Pixel 11 can run top Android games, but Tensor G6 is below par
Google’s Pixel 11 series can run demanding Android games, but its Tensor G6 chip remains well behind competing flagship processors in graphics performance, according to tests by Android Authority and other technology reviewers.
Android Authority tested the Pixel 11 Pro XL with Call of Duty: Mobile, Asphalt Legends and Genshin Impact. Call of Duty stayed comfortably above 60 frames per second, although it could not consistently reach the selected 90 fps limit. Asphalt Legends and Genshin Impact remained playable but failed to hold 60 fps at high graphics settings.
The results also showed little improvement over the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Asphalt Legends recorded an average frame-rate gain of less than 5%, while average performance was slightly lower in Call of Duty and Genshin Impact. Android Authority also encountered texture pop-in in Genshin Impact and occasional stuttering in Call of Duty.
Heat became another issue under sustained load. The Tensor G6 passed 35 degrees Celsius during some game menus, while Genshin Impact pushed temperatures above 40 C after about five minutes. Frame rates became less stable later in the test.
Earlier reports of severe graphical problems in Genshin Impact appear to have been addressed. WIRED encountered a purple-screen bug during its review of the Pixel 11 Pro models and Google said at the time that it was working with HoYoverse on a fix. Android Authority’s later testing did not reproduce the problem after a game update.
Other reviewers find similar limits
Tests from other publications point to the same distinction: the Pixel 11 performs well in everyday use and lighter games but struggles when graphics workloads increase.
WIRED tested the standard Pixel 11 with Wuthering Waves. The game remained playable, but the reviewer reported frequent dropped frames in combat even using the Balanced graphics setting. After an hour, the phone had become warm and its battery level had fallen from 40% to 26%. Less demanding titles such as Mini Metro and Alto’s Odyssey ran without similar problems.
The review found that Zenless Zone Zero also struggled to run smoothly.
The experience is not uniformly poor. TechRadar reported that the Pixel 11 Pro handled Asphalt Legends and Fortnite without noticeable difficulties, while another Android Authority reviewer said Call of Duty: Mobile ran well at High graphics and its maximum available frame rate setting. That suggests the Tensor G6 is capable enough for many mainstream games even if it lacks the performance margin of rival chips.
Snapdragon flagships have considerably more gaming headroom
The difference becomes clearer when the Pixel is tested against other 2026 flagships.
Android Authority compared the Pixel 11 Pro XL with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Xiaomi allowed Very High graphics at up to 120 fps in Call of Duty and maximum graphics at 120 fps in Asphalt Legends. It also reached roughly 60 fps in Genshin Impact, compared with about 45 fps on the Pixel in the publication’s comparison.
PhoneArena’s synthetic graphics tests produced a similar gap. The Pixel 11 Pro XL scored 1,207 points in the initial 3DMark Steel Nomad Light test, compared with 2,761 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra and 2,592 for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. After thermal throttling, the Pixel recorded 1,039 points against 1,498 and 1,584, respectively.
Android Authority’s broader Tensor G6 testing found graphics performance improved only around 7% to 10% over the Tensor G5 in 3DMark tests. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 produced more than twice the Pixel’s peak result in one of the publication’s graphics benchmarks.
