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Google is poised to enhance its multiplatform gaming strategy ahead of the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC), emphasizing notable advancements in graphics capabilities.
During a recent press conference, Matthew McCullough, Vice President of Product Management for Android at Google, announced that the company is ready to unveil exciting new features aimed at improving the gaming experience. With over two billion monthly active users, Google is focused on providing an innovative gaming environment.
“Our goal is to deliver an expanded selection of games, versatile playing options across devices, and enhanced gameplay performance,” McCullough stated.
The tech giant is adopting Vulkan technology as the standard graphics API for Android. This shift will empower developers to create visually captivating games while enhancing gameplay stability through the Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF).
With the increasing demand for advanced graphics processing in contemporary games, Google’s transition to Vulkan, which allows for optimized performance on modern graphical processing units (GPUs), is significant. This change will introduce advanced capabilities such as ray tracing and multithreading, providing more realistic gaming visuals. A prime example of this is the game Diablo Immortal, which employs Vulkan to incorporate stunning ray-traced effects that vividly animate its gaming environment.
Diablo Immortal running on Vulkan
For more casual games, like Pokémon TCG Pocket, Vulkan technology optimizes graphics across various devices, ensuring that all players have a seamless and immersive experience.
Google is transitioning Android to a contemporary, unified graphics stack centered around Vulkan. This means that in forthcoming releases, more devices will utilize Vulkan for processing graphics commands. Games currently reliant on OpenGL will transition via Angle, a system driver that translates OpenGL calls to Vulkan. Developers are encouraged to test their games on Angle to prepare for this advancement.
“We are collaborating with key game engine developers to facilitate Vulkan integration,” McCullough added. “Unity 6, for instance, allows for Vulkan configuration on a device-by-device basis, while earlier versions can utilize plugins for this functionality. Currently, more than 45% of new game sessions on Unity utilize Vulkan, and we anticipate a rapid increase in this trend.”
To streamline the development process even further, Google is partnering with the Samsung Austin Research Center to develop a comprehensive GPU profiling toolchain for Vulkan, along with AI and machine learning optimization. This tool, set to be released later this year, aims to enhance the efficiency of graphics, memory, and computational workloads for developers.
Longer and smoother gameplay sessions with ADPF
The Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF) enables developers to dynamically manage their game and device performance based on the device’s thermal conditions. This significant update aims to enhance gameplay duration and smoothness across a wide array of devices, including the latest Pixel and Samsung models. MMO games like Lineage W are expected to leverage ADPF to optimize performance effectively.
Lineage W running on ADPF
The enhancements to ADPF are focused on performance and simplicity in integration:
Improved performance: Collaborations with MediaTek, a notable chip manufacturer for Android devices, are yielding higher stability for ADPF, enabling devices powered by MediaTek’s MAGT technology to fully exploit performance optimizations.
Simplified integration: Major game engines now include native support for ADPF with user-friendly interfaces and default settings. For more advanced users, developers can adjust ADPF configurations in real time.
Performance optimization with more features in Play Console
After launching their games, developers can utilize the Play Console, which offers insights and tools designed to monitor and enhance game performance. A new feature called Low Memory Killers (LMK) has been added to Android vitals, giving developers an understanding of memory limitations that might result in game crashes. Android vitals serves as a comprehensive resource for tracking metrics impacting Play Store visibility, like session slowdowns.
Bringing PC games to mobile, and pushing the boundaries of gaming
Google is initiating a pilot program aimed at simplifying the transition of PC games to mobile platforms. This program aids developers from the initial stages of Android game creation to the final publishing process on the Play Store. Titles such as Dredge and Tabs Mobile are already expanding their reach in the mobile space through this initiative, with more titles, including Disco Elysium, set to follow suit.
New PC games are coming to mobile
Developers can tap into additional resources for Android game development at GDC, where Google will feature prominently in the West Hall of Moscone. Both Aurash Mahbod, VP and General Manager, Games on Google Play, and McCullough confirmed that the platform is now welcoming an even greater selection of PC games to mobile devices.
Google Play Games is expanding its collection to include a diverse array of PC titles, thus broadening the platform beyond traditional mobile offerings. In addition to well-known games like Genshin Impact and Journey of Monarch, new entries such as Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, Sonic Rumble, and Odin: Valhalla Rising will be introduced this year.
Furthermore, Google is enhancing accessibility for mobile developers looking to transition their games to PC. Titles such as Train Sim and Pet Shop Fever: Animal Hotel, along with countless new mobile titles, will be available on Google Play Games.
Importantly, the complete catalog of Google Play Games for PC will soon be accessible on an even wider range of devices, including those powered by AMD technology.
In an effort to engage with gamers across platforms, Google aims to enrich player experiences by simplifying the use of Play Points on PC, with a new system that provides up to 10 times the point boosters. This system, rolling out over the next few weeks, will make it easier for users to track their point balance across mobile and PC, offering enhanced opportunities for earning and redeeming points for in-game items and discounts.
Mahbod reiterated Google’s commitment to enhancing its multiplatform gaming offerings, promising exciting updates during this year’s GDC and underscoring their initiative to deliver more games, a wider array of playing options, and improved gameplay experiences.
Source
venturebeat.com