New 3DMark Sling Shot benchmarks for Android

Introducing 3DMark Sling Shot benchmarks for OpenGL ES 3.1 & ES 3.0

We released a major update for 3DMark today that adds new benchmark tests for compatible Android smartphones and tablets.

3DMark Sling Shot is an advanced 3D graphics benchmark for smartphones and tablets running Android 5.0 or later that support OpenGL ES 3.1 or ES 3.0. 

Run Sling Shot in OpenGL ES 3.1 mode to compare flagship Android devices from HTC, LG, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, and other leading manufacturers. Or choose OpenGL ES 3.0 mode to compare high-end Android devices with the latest iPhone and iPad models, (iOS version coming soon). 

Sling Shot tests the full range of OpenGL ES 3.1 and ES 3.0 API features including multiple render targets, instanced rendering, uniform buffers and transform feedback. The test also includes impressive volumetric lighting and post-processing effects - you've never seen graphics like this on smartphone before.  

When using ES 3.1, Sling Shot's Graphics tests are rendered at 2560 x 1440 then scaled to the device's display resolution. When using ES 3.0, the Graphics tests are rendered at 1920 x 1080 before scaling. In both cases, you can also choose to run the test "offscreen" using Unlimited mode.

For more details, we recommend reading our 3DMark Technical Guide, which explains exactly what's being measured and how the scores are calculated. 

Important note

If you use 3DMark to test Windows PCs, you'll notice that Sling Shot looks similar to Cloud Gate. To create Sling Shot, the assets and rendering techniques used in Cloud Gate were modified to make them suitable for mobile hardware. In broad terms, Sling Shot is a lighter test than Cloud Gate. Even though they share content, they are separate tests. Sling Shot scores from mobile devices should not be compared with Cloud Gate scores from Windows PCs.

What's new in 3DMark Android Edition v1.5.3263 

New

• New Sling Shot benchmark for testing OpenGL ES 3.1 and OpenGL ES 3.0 performance of compatible devices running Android 5.0 or later.
• New hardware monitoring chart shows how CPU clock frequency, CPU usage, temperature and battery charge changed while the benchmark was running.

Improved

• 3DMark now recommends the best benchmark for your device.
• Save storage space by installing only the benchmark tests you need.
• Improved UI makes choosing benchmarks easier.
• Russian localization.

Compatibility

Note that this update completely replaces the standalone Sling Shot app released for limited testing in April. That app is no longer available from Google Play and should not be used for further testing since its scores are not comparable with this update.

Download 3DMark

3DMark is a free Android benchmark app available from Google Play.