Finnish developer Futuremark has announced that its 3DMark benchmarking software will be headed to Android phones and tablets in 2012. 3DMark has long been an important benchmarking suite for PC gamers, and as Android devices become more powerful, it should come as no surprise to see benchmark-makers attempting to get a piece of the action.
With development just now starting to ramp up, Futuremark is inviting Android device manufacturers to join its "Benchmark Development Program" in order to ensure their products are fully supported when the app eventually hits next year.
The developer's planning to implement CPU, GPU and physics processing tests in 3DMark for Android, along with online rankings, just like its current Windows offerings. Interestingly, scores generated by the Android app are also said to be "comparable" with those from the next Windows version of 3DMark, presumably giving users a way to directly compare performance between devices across the two platforms.
Clearly it's still early days, but it should be interesting to see what Futuremark comes up with over the next year. If nothing else, 3DMark on Windows has always offered a generous helping of eye candy.
Today's press release can be found in full after the jump.
3DMark® Benchmark Coming to Android™
Companies Invited to join Futuremark® Benchmark Development Program to Create the First Industry Standard Gaming Performance Benchmark for the Android Platform
HELSINKI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Futuremark®, the world leader in performance benchmarking software, today announced that it has started development of 3DMark® for Android™ (working title), with the aim of bringing the industry standard gaming performance benchmark to Android powered tablets in 2012. Companies involved in the manufacture of Android powered devices are invited to join Futuremark's Benchmark Development Program to play a critical role in the development of 3DMark for Android, from initial specification to final delivery. http://www.futuremark.com/bdp/
Research groups such as Gartner and IDC are predicting explosive growth for tablets in the coming years. Undoubtedly games will be one of the key drivers of this growth as the performance and power of these lightweight devices improves. Fierce competition between Android devices means hardware manufacturers and their suppliers will need an objective, impartial and forward-looking performance reference to enable their engineers to deliver competitive products.
Jukka Mäkinen, CEO of Futuremark said, "Since 1998, the PC industry has relied on 3DMark to accurately measure gaming hardware performance. In 2012 we will bring 3DMark to the Android platform with a professional grade benchmark that can be trusted by manufacturers, suppliers and vendors to provide the definitive measure of gaming performance on Android while showcasing the very best in real-time graphics and effects."
Dedicated benchmarking software provides industry engineers and press reviewers with the tools to produce consistent results that are repeatable, reliable and relevant. 3DMark is a purpose built benchmark for measuring gaming performance. It uses bespoke workloads designed specifically to stress test graphics hardware and highlight bottlenecks in the system.
3DMark for Android (working title)
- Measures gaming performance using rendering, CPU and physics tests.
- Stunning real-time graphics pushing the OpenGL ES API to the limit.
- Complementary online service to compare results between devices.
- Results will be comparable with 3DMark for Windows 8.
- Currently in development, expected to be released in 2012.
The Benchmark Development Program (BDP) is a Futuremark initiative for building partnerships with hardware and technology manufacturers. The BDPs for 3DMark for Windows and PCMark include companies such as AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, Imagination Technologies, Dell and HP. An open process of close co-operation with BDP members results in high-quality benchmarks that reliably provide consistent, vendor-neutral results to the benefit of both the industry and consumers.
Companies Invited to join Benchmark Development Program
3DMark for Android will be developed in close co-operation with the world's leading technology companies. Companies that join the 3DMark for Android Benchmark Development Program (BDP) will help shape the benchmark specification, have access to regular development builds for evaluation and receive discounted site license pricing.
Please visit http://www.futuremark.com/bdp/ for more information about joining the Benchmark Development Program or follow Futuremark on Facebook for the latest 3DMark news: http://www.facebook.com/Futuremark
