diff --git a/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/BooleanSetting.kt b/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/BooleanSetting.kt
index 475d9192c6..40de2bdff5 100644
--- a/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/BooleanSetting.kt
+++ b/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/BooleanSetting.kt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ enum class BooleanSetting(override val key: String) : AbstractBooleanSetting {
     SYNC_MEMORY_OPERATIONS("sync_memory_operations"),
     BUFFER_REORDER_DISABLE("disable_buffer_reorder"),
     RENDERER_DEBUG("debug"),
+    RENDERER_PATCH_OLD_QCOM_DRIVERS("patch_old_qcom_drivers"),
     RENDERER_VERTEX_INPUT_DYNAMIC_STATE("vertex_input_dynamic_state"),
     RENDERER_PROVOKING_VERTEX("provoking_vertex"),
     RENDERER_DESCRIPTOR_INDEXING("descriptor_indexing"),
diff --git a/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/view/SettingsItem.kt b/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/view/SettingsItem.kt
index 62929bf371..72ec709696 100644
--- a/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/view/SettingsItem.kt
+++ b/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/model/view/SettingsItem.kt
@@ -766,6 +766,14 @@ abstract class SettingsItem(
                     descriptionId = R.string.renderer_debug_description
                 )
             )
+            // BCn texture patching debug override
+            put(
+                SwitchSetting(
+                    BooleanSetting.RENDERER_PATCH_OLD_QCOM_DRIVERS,
+                    titleId = R.string.patch_old_qcom_drivers,
+                    descriptionId = R.string.patch_old_qcom_drivers_description
+                )
+            )
             put(
                 SwitchSetting(
                     BooleanSetting.USE_AUTO_STUB,
diff --git a/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/ui/SettingsFragmentPresenter.kt b/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/ui/SettingsFragmentPresenter.kt
index 8d05abf703..3fb89a7b0e 100644
--- a/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/ui/SettingsFragmentPresenter.kt
+++ b/src/android/app/src/main/java/org/yuzu/yuzu_emu/features/settings/ui/SettingsFragmentPresenter.kt
@@ -1161,6 +1161,7 @@ class SettingsFragmentPresenter(
             add(HeaderSetting(R.string.gpu))
             add(IntSetting.RENDERER_BACKEND.key)
             add(BooleanSetting.RENDERER_DEBUG.key)
+            add(BooleanSetting.RENDERER_PATCH_OLD_QCOM_DRIVERS.key)
 
             add(HeaderSetting(R.string.cpu))
             add(IntSetting.CPU_BACKEND.key)
diff --git a/src/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/src/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 9002d74bb8..72cd1170c4 100644
--- a/src/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/src/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -524,6 +524,8 @@
     <string name="renderer_api">API</string>
     <string name="renderer_debug">Graphics debugging</string>
     <string name="renderer_debug_description">Sets the graphics API to a slow debugging mode.</string>
+    <string name="patch_old_qcom_drivers">BCn Texture Patching</string>
+    <string name="patch_old_qcom_drivers_description">Override automatic BCn texture format detection on Adreno GPUs. Normally auto-detected based on Android version (enabled on API 28+).</string>
     <string name="fastmem">Fastmem</string>
 
     <string name="log">Logging</string>
diff --git a/src/common/settings.h b/src/common/settings.h
index 4a8d352c5f..3c7b4fe82b 100644
--- a/src/common/settings.h
+++ b/src/common/settings.h
@@ -556,6 +556,11 @@ struct Values {
                                                     linkage, false, "disable_shader_loop_safety_checks", Category::RendererDebug};
     Setting<bool> enable_renderdoc_hotkey{linkage, false, "renderdoc_hotkey",
                                           Category::RendererDebug};
+#if defined(ANDROID) && defined(ARCHITECTURE_arm64)
+    // Debug override for automatic BCn patching detection
+    Setting<bool> patch_old_qcom_drivers{linkage, true, "patch_old_qcom_drivers",
+                                         Category::RendererDebug};
+#endif
     SwitchableSetting<bool> disable_buffer_reorder{linkage, false, "disable_buffer_reorder",
                                          Category::RendererDebug,
                                          Specialization::Default,
diff --git a/src/video_core/vulkan_common/vulkan_device.cpp b/src/video_core/vulkan_common/vulkan_device.cpp
index 2ce19c8e18..524b93dfdf 100644
--- a/src/video_core/vulkan_common/vulkan_device.cpp
+++ b/src/video_core/vulkan_common/vulkan_device.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #if defined(ANDROID) && defined(ARCHITECTURE_arm64)
 #include <adrenotools/bcenabler.h>
+#include <android/api-level.h>
 #endif
 
 namespace Vulkan {
@@ -502,24 +503,45 @@ Device::Device(VkInstance instance_, vk::PhysicalDevice physical_, VkSurfaceKHR
         features.features.shaderInt64 = false;
 
 #if defined(ANDROID) && defined(ARCHITECTURE_arm64)
-        // Patch the driver to enable BCn textures.
+        // BCn patching only safe on Android 9+ (API 28+). Older versions crash on driver load.
         const auto major = (properties.properties.driverVersion >> 24) << 2;
         const auto minor = (properties.properties.driverVersion >> 12) & 0xFFFU;
         const auto vendor = properties.properties.vendorID;
         const auto patch_status = adrenotools_get_bcn_type(major, minor, vendor);
+        const int api_level = android_get_device_api_level();
+
+        bool should_patch_bcn = api_level >= 28;
+        const bool bcn_debug_override = Settings::values.patch_old_qcom_drivers.GetValue();
+        if (bcn_debug_override != should_patch_bcn) {
+            LOG_WARNING(Render_Vulkan,
+                "BCn patch debug override active: {} (auto-detected: {})",
+                bcn_debug_override, should_patch_bcn);
+            should_patch_bcn = bcn_debug_override;
+        }
 
         if (patch_status == ADRENOTOOLS_BCN_PATCH) {
-            LOG_INFO(Render_Vulkan, "Patching Adreno driver to support BCn texture formats");
-            if (adrenotools_patch_bcn(
-                    reinterpret_cast<void*>(dld.vkGetPhysicalDeviceFormatProperties))) {
-                OverrideBcnFormats(format_properties);
+            if (should_patch_bcn) {
+                LOG_INFO(Render_Vulkan,
+                    "Patching Adreno driver to support BCn texture formats "
+                    "(Android API {}, Driver {}.{})", api_level, major, minor);
+                if (adrenotools_patch_bcn(
+                        reinterpret_cast<void*>(dld.vkGetPhysicalDeviceFormatProperties))) {
+                    OverrideBcnFormats(format_properties);
+                } else {
+                    LOG_ERROR(Render_Vulkan, "BCn patch failed! Driver code may now crash");
+                }
             } else {
-                LOG_ERROR(Render_Vulkan, "Patch failed! Driver code may now crash");
+                LOG_WARNING(Render_Vulkan,
+                    "BCn texture patching skipped for stability (Android API {} < 28). "
+                    "Driver version {}.{} would support patching, but may crash on older Android.",
+                    api_level, major, minor);
             }
         } else if (patch_status == ADRENOTOOLS_BCN_BLOB) {
-            LOG_INFO(Render_Vulkan, "Adreno driver supports BCn textures without patches");
+            LOG_INFO(Render_Vulkan, "Adreno driver supports BCn textures natively (no patch needed)");
         } else {
-            LOG_WARNING(Render_Vulkan, "Adreno driver can't be patched to enable BCn textures");
+            LOG_INFO(Render_Vulkan,
+                "Adreno driver does not support BCn texture patching (Android API {}, Driver {}.{})",
+                api_level, major, minor);
         }
 #endif
     }