Galaxy Nexus Gets New Life with Updated GPU Drivers

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Nearly one year ago when Google disclosed that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus would not get to enjoy Android 4.4 KitKat in official capacity, many were understandably upset. This device, which is still packs a relatively decent punch in the hardware specifications department, was more than capable of handling the latest firmware. In fact, at the time of KitKat’s release, the company touted that the increased optimization and decreased hardware requirements in Android 4.4 would help limit platform fragmentation.

While many were upset at Google, others quickly saw that the most likely reason as to why the beloved GNex would miss out was because of the lack of chipset drivers following TI’s exit from the mobile SoC market. However, we’ve since seen quite a few aftermarket KitKat ports for the device, with some even being considered nearly perfect and fully stable for every day use.

Now, as we are on the brink of a whole new version of Android, another breakthrough has occurred to extend the life of the Galaxy Nexus. Back in July, XDA Senior Member Ziyan updated his Galaxy Nexus kernel to allow for the use of newer GPU drivers. Now, Senior Member MWisBest has picked up the slack by updating the drivers for the SoC’s low power Ducati cores that are involved with video decoding and encoding, as well as camera communication. With this, the Galaxy Nexus not only gains an even more functional KitKat build, but also gets ready for Android L’s release in the coming month(s).

If you’d like to load the ROM on your own Galaxy Nexus or you’re a developer looking to build on the work described above, head over to the appropriate thread below: