Update on Android Performance options from Google

Hi

Apparently you can disable WebView GPU blocklist now in WebView. How would I do this via Construct. This would put to bed the argument about whether it’s a dodgy gpu on the blocklist causing me issues with performance on Android.

AFAIK it can currently only be manually configured, so we can't automatically set the option. If a way to automatically set it is supported, we can add that.

Your screenshot already shows me asking, and a Google developer saying it's not possible.

My device runs my game fine on chrome. This rules out my dodgy driver or bad GPU argument. Debug and release APK run like crap. Tried another game which is 10 times less complex, couple of black and white sprites with moveTo, same thing. Sluggish in an APK, great in browser. This is ruling out Construct for me. Gutted to be honest.

As far as I'm aware, the vast majority of Android devices work just fine both in the browser and in APKs. Only certain specific devices seem to have issues. I'm afraid I don't think a GPU driver issue can be ruled out just yet: rendering and GPU drivers are extremely complex, and the mere fact that APKs work slightly differently to the browser means it's possible a GPU driver issue affects the APK but not the browser. I still don't know what's really going on here - it would be best to follow it up with Google and answer any questions they have to help them get to the bottom of it.

All Google asked me to do is disable the GPU blocklist and use the latest Canary build. No joy. The chances of this getting resolved through that ticket seem slim.

As is standard procedure when diagnosing issues, they asked you to do that to help identify what the problem was. The issue is still open and actively being discussed - in comment 35 there is a Google developer asking another developer for suggestions about what the next steps would be.

I am doubtful about my GPU because the core of the game works fine in a debug APK delivered via Godot, with more lighting effects and runs great when running straight on Chrome out of the Construct editor on the device, and all other games I run from the App Store seem to run relatively smoothly.

It is definitely an issue with the WebView implementation when run through an APK. I will keep poking them, the game is here if you want to try it on your device Ashley. For me it just looks like it is using software rendering - is the only way to describe it. I am just hoping not everyone experiences it like I do.

play.google.com/store/apps/details

I just received an update for webview in my phone today. See if you got any update and see if it makes any difference.

I am doubtful about my GPU because the core of the game works fine in a debug APK delivered via Godot

I'm afraid this doesn't actually prove much, because it's entirely possible that GPU driver bugs affect some software but not others. Such issues can be highly unpredictable.

It might be a GPU driver issue, and it might not be - it's just not clear yet. Often it's not clear until the problem is actually finally fixed.

So the only evidence I have hard facts on from my personal experience is that Construct doesn’t work well on Android in a final APK (i.e WebView model is bad) but Godot works fine.

As I say my personal experience, I know everyone else is happy. I love Construct, but even a simple sprite with a moveTo action sucks. But then if everything happens to be forced to use software rendering in my case, I am not surprised.