In terms of software quality and optimization Android I have always been a cut below iOS. Unlike Apple, which required developers to adapt applications for all supported devices, Google could not put forward such a requirement. First, there are many more devices based on Android than iPhone and iPad combined. And, secondly, they all have different combinations of iron, with each of which you need to work on an individual basis. Nevertheless, Google has leverage over developers, and it looks like it finally decided to use it.
Google decided to make games for Android better
Google unveiled Android Performance Tunes for Developers to improve the performance of Android – devices in games. Despite the fact that it does not overclock the processor, the gain is achieved due to the more efficient use of available resources. With the help of Android Performance Tuner, developers get the opportunity to more thoroughly optimize their games for different combinations of hardware at once, in the future covering up to 99% of all devices under control Android.
How to speed up games on Android
Games for Android are often completely unoptimized, causing users to suffer
Basically, Android Performance Tuner is just an analysis tool or visual metric. Its application gives the developer the ability to track how the game works on a specific device. The tool notifies him about fps or performance drops, about problems with the correct display of graphics and special effects, and indicates possible ways to fix existing flaws. As a result, the developer just has to follow the proposed scenario and adapt the game properly.
One of the key problems with modern games for Android is low graphics performance. The developers do not take into account all the features of the graphics processors, which is why, firstly, the quality and detail of the picture suffers, and, secondly, the frame rate, which also has a negative impact on the perception of the gameplay. For this reason, Fortnite, which on iPhone is available at 60 fps, on the vast majority of Android smartphones only works at 30 fps, indicating a lack of optimization.
Why optimization is needed
A very good difference between a game optimized by Android Performance Tunes (left) and an unoptimized game (right) can be seen in a couple of screenshots below. The image on the left clearly shows footprints on the water that appear after the boat has moved, a plant growing along the shore and a bush on the mountain in the background. On the right, there is none of this, and the picture looks very poor, causing a persistent feeling that the artists decided to cheat and simply did not finish some of the significant details that form the correct perception of the game.
Left – optimized game, right – unoptimized
However, there is one catch. Google does not oblige developers to use Android Performance Tunes in their games, offering it as an optional tool that you can use if you want. This means that those who are not interested in taking the time to learn and integrate a new in-game performance enhancer will likely not. After all, if users already download games and play them, it means that they are happy with everything, and therefore there is no point in trying to change something.
Therefore, for everything to work as it should, Google needs to make Android Performance Tuner a must-have tool for developers, without which games will not be published on Google Play. But even that would not have been enough. For maximum effect, the search giant needs to introduce a mandatory requirement for developers, obliging them to optimize their games for released devices every six months or a year, so that their owners can also enjoy the experience of playing at maximum settings regardless of hardware.