Pixel 11 gaming issues may not completely stem from Tensor G6, testing shows
Chinese reviewer 大米评测 (Rice Review) tested frame rates and CPU core clocks on the Pixel 11 across three titles: Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and Honkai: Star Rail. The results point to inconsistent core scheduling on the Tensor G6 rather than a limitation of the chip itself.
In Genshin Impact, the Pixel 11 encountered a graphical glitch that we covered previously and that wasn't patched until Genshin Impact's 7.1 update. After the update, the game averages 43.3 fps, with a 1% low of 11.7 fps, trailing the Xiaomi 15S Pro and iQOO 15, both of which maintain averages of about 60 fps. PerfDog logs from the test show the Tensor G6's four C1-Pro cores running at an average of 2.1 GHz, higher than the single "Ultra" core's average of 1.41 GHz. This is normal given Genshin's low CPU requirements, with the comparatively weak PowerVR GPU being the bottleneck.
The issue is evident in Honkai: Star Rail. The Pixel 11 averages just 19.1 fps on Vulkan, with a 1% low of 6.9 fps. Clock logs show why. Both Pro clusters reach only around 0.46–0.47 GHz throughout the 20-minute run, while the Ultra core drops from a maximum frequency of 4.1 GHz to around 1.1–1.46 GHz. This scheduling is basically "one core working, six idle." Rival devices in the same test, including the Xiaomi 15S Pro (57.6 fps) and iQOO 15 (59.1 fps), fare much better.
In Zenless Zone Zero, the clock log shows a more typical pattern, with the Ultra core briefly reaching its maximum clock speed during the first five minutes before throttling back, which brings down its average clock speed. Still, the Pixel 11 trails the Xiaomi 15S Pro and iQOO 15 by roughly 16 fps at a similar or lower power draw, only matching Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-equipped devices such as the Xiaomi 13—a result consistent with the Tensor G6's raw performance.
The results suggest that Google still has scheduler work to do on the Tensor G6, separate from the chip's underlying efficiency and performance ceiling documented in Geekerwan's testing. Whether this will be addressed through a future software update remains to be seen.
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