Google’s $899 Pixel 11 can’t properly play Genshin Impact, and we’ve been here before

Google’s Pixel 11 series has plenty of clever tricks. But apparently, rendering a popular mobile game is not one of them. Owners of the new Pixel 11 lineup are reporting severe graphical problems that make HoYoverse’s Genshin Impact effectively unplayable.

Wired reported on the problem while testing the Pixel 11 Pro, describing a purple screen that prevented normal gameplay, and additional users have reported the issue to Google. For a flagship family starting at $899, this is a pretty bad look–especially when you look at how Google talked about the Tensor G6 being more powerful.

Is PowerVR causing headaches again?

Every Pixel 11 model uses Google’s new Tensor G6, which pairs its CPU and AI hardware with a PowerVR GPU. One Reddit player contacted Genshin Impact support (via Android Authority) and was told that PowerVR GPUs do not meet the game’s minimum requirements. Coming from an official source, this is quite devastating if you’ve spent closer to or over $1,000. To be fair, this explanation came through customer support rather than a detailed technical statement from HoYoverse.

Google is describing the problem as an optimization issue, which sounds considerably more fixable. Google told Wired that it is working directly with HoYoverse and expects a fix to arrive in an upcoming Genshin Impact update. But there is no confirmed release date for that patch yet. The particularly frustrating part is that Pixel 10 phones went through similar PowerVR graphics problems. Google spent months improving GPU drivers after the Tensor G5 debuted.

Google really should have caught this

This doesn’t appear to mean the Pixel 11 is incapable of demanding games altogether. It has been documented running other hefty games, like Zenless Zone Zero, even if the experience wasn’t as smooth as other recent flagships. The severe rendering corruption appeared specifically in Genshin Impact, making compatibility and optimization the bigger problem here rather than raw GPU performance alone.

Genshin Impact is one of the biggest mobile games on the planet, and Google knew it was sticking with PowerVR graphics for another Pixel generation. So I’m glad a fix is already coming. But if I’m spending top dollar, wondering if my phone can run a mainstream mobile game shouldn’t be a real concern.