Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of visual processing solutions, today announced a collaboration with Tencent’s TiMi Studio group on the mobile game Honor of Kings. As a long-recognized standout within the multiplayer online battle arena (“MOBA”) genre, this game integrates the IRX rendering acceleration SDK, allowing certified devices to deliver a smooth 120fps gaming experience with detailed visuals and low system power consumption. Notably, Honor of Kings is the first MOBA mobile game to integrate Pixelworks’ IRX rendering acceleration technology, which provides smartphone users with a uniquely smooth and immersive gaming experience jointly tuned by Pixelworks and the Honor of Kings‘ technical team.
As both Tencent’s first and the world’s most played 5v5 team battle mobile game, Honor of Kings has been beloved by players since its launch. According to Sensor Tower’s 2024 APAC Mobile Game Market Insights, Honor of Kings remained the top-grossing game from January to April 2024. Underpinned by the growing trend towards high-profile mobile games, there continues to be increasing demand for high picture quality and high-frame-rate gaming experiences from mobile gamers. For multiplayer online battle games, higher frame rate provides smoother visuals, enhancing both character animations and enabling more instantaneous skill releases. High picture quality makes the game visuals clearer and more realistic. Bringing all of these combined performance benefits together simultaneously requires advanced processing and hardware capabilities, which have traditionally been limited to games played on a PC or console.
To achieve the optimal balance between visual performance and power consumption, Pixelworks collaborated deeply with Tencent’s Honor of Kings technical team. Leveraging IRX rendering acceleration technology, the GPU on certified smartphones can render display content at lower frame rates and resolution, reducing overall power consumption while still achieving stable and smooth 120fps high-resolution visual performance. Further capitalizing on Honor of Kings being the first MOBA game to integrate IRX rendering acceleration, the technical team also introduced a diverse series of display modes to meet different players’ unique needs and preferences. By entering the game settings interface and turning on “IRX Rendering Acceleration” in the image setting menu, players can switch between “High Quality” and “High Frame Rate” modes in real-time. In High Quality mode, details in the world of Honor of Kings are vividly displayed. In High Frame Rate mode, hero operations and attacks are smoothly performed. The above modes will be applied to a growing number of smartphone models in the future. Outside of battles, players can experience the details of heroes and skins more realistically with IRX Rendering Acceleration enabled.
As one of the most popular mobile games in China, Honor of Kings always prioritizes players’ gaming experiences. Every technical update or iteration is a testament to the technical team’s dedication to game content creation and their ambition to expand the boundaries of the gaming experience. The introduction of Pixelworks’ IRX rendering acceleration technology for game optimization and upgrades will further enhance picture quality and performance, allowing players to truly feel the innovations brought by new technology and enjoy a richer mobile gaming experience.
“We are excited to optimize the mobile gaming experience for Honor of Kings,” said Ting Xiong, President of Pixelworks China. “Known for its detailed and clear graphics, stunning battle skill effects and realistic combat modes, the game continues to be extremely popular among players worldwide and a shining star in the MOBA genre. The integration of IRX rendering acceleration technology into the game represented a new and rewarding challenge for our respective teams, and the end result represents a meaningful refresh of the mobile gaming visual experience. This technology significantly enhances game immersion, achieving comprehensive advancements in visual effects and performance. We look forward to further technical cooperation with the Honor of Kings team in the future, as we continue to expand the gaming ecosystem in multiple dimensions and bring sustainable high-quality, high-frame-rate and stable gaming experiences to more players.”
