As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 31, 2017February 2, 2024

Registration No. 333-333-275569

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 3

TO

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

PIXELWORKS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

224 Airport Parkway,

16760 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd., Suite 400101

San Jose, California 95110Portland, OR 97224

(408) 200-9200(503) 601-4545

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Todd A. DeBonis

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pixelworks, Inc.

224 Airport Parkway,16760 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd., Suite 400101

San Jose, California 95110Portland, OR 97224

(408) 200-9200(503) 601-4545

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Jorge del Calvo, Esq.

Christina F. Pearson, Esq.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

2550 Hanover St.

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 233-4500

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:public: From time to time after this Registration Statementregistration statement becomes effective, as determined by market conditions and other factors.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.box: ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.box: ☒

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement fromfor the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Formform is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

If this Formform is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholdersWe may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion; Dated October 31, 2017February 2, 2024

PROSPECTUS

892,751 Shares

Pixelworks, Inc.

$25,000,000

Common Stock

Our subsidiary ViXS Systems, Inc. previously issued and sold convertible secured subordinated debentures in private transactions that closed priorThis prospectus relates to our acquisition of ViXS in August 2017. CAD$6,350,000 of convertible debentures are outstanding and are convertible, at the option of the holder, prior to their maturity into shares of our common stock. In such circumstances, the recipients of suchPixelworks, Inc. common stock whom we refer to herein as the selling stockholders,which may use this prospectus to resellbe offered and sold from time to time the sharestime. The aggregate initial offering price of ourall common stock that we may issue to them upon the conversion of the convertible debentures. Additional selling stockholders may be named by futuresold under this prospectus supplements.

will not exceed $25,000,000. The registration of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus does not necessarily mean that the convertible debentures will convert into shares of our common stock or that, if such convertible debentures are so converted and our shares are issued pursuant thereto, that the selling stockholders will offer or sell such shares.

We will receive no proceeds from any issuance of shares of our common stock to the selling stockholders or from any sale of such shares by the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders from time to time may offer and sell the shares held by them in a number of different ways and at varying prices, as described in more detail in this prospectus under the heading “Plan of Distribution.”

Our common stockPixelworks, Inc. is listed on The NASDAQthe Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PXLW.” On October 30, 2017,February 1, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The NASDAQthe Nasdaq Global Market was $5.52$2.13 per share.

Each time we sell shares of our common stock hereunder, we will attach a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the terms of the offering, including the price at which we are offering the shares to the public. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in shares of our common stock.

Pixelworks is a leading provider of high-performance and power-efficient visual processing semiconductor and software solutions that enable consistently high-quality and authentic viewing experiences in a wide variety of applications. We are incorporated in Oregon, and our principal executive office is located in Portland, Oregon. We define our primary target markets as Mobile (smartphone and tablet), Home & Enterprise (projectors, personal video recorders, and over-the-air streaming devices), and Cinema (creation, remastering, and delivery of digital video content). During the third quarter of 2021, we engaged in a strategic plan to re-align our Mobile and Home & Enterprise businesses to improve their focus on their Asia-centered customers and employee stakeholders. Our subsidiary, Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or PWSH, now operates these businesses as a full profit-and-loss center underneath Pixelworks. PWSH has a branch office located in Shenzhen, China (Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Shenzhen Branch Office No. 1), which is primarily for sales and customer support for PWSH, and a subsidiary located in Hong Kong (Pixelworks Hong Kong Limited), which has no employees and is used for distribution of PWSH products. Pixelworks has an additional subsidiary in China (Frame Shadow Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (formerly called Mucheng Huai Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd)) which is a research and development center for our TrueCut business. This subsidiary does not operate under PWSH, but rather is owned by Pixelworks through our Oregon limited liability company, Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology Company, LLC.

More than a majority of our operations are in China, but our executive officers and all of our directors but one are located in the United States (the one exception resides in Singapore). We are neither a People’s Republic of China, or the PRC, operating company nor do we conduct our operations in China through the use of variable interest entities. Our auditor is Grant Thornton LLP, with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, and related regulations, therefore do not apply to our company.

Investing in our shares of our common stock involves risks. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 24 of this prospectus, in documents we incorporate by reference into this prospectus and included in or incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus supplement.

We face additional legal and operational risks associated with our operations in China that could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. These risks are included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as well as in any applicable prospectus supplement, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and are included in “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus, including:

In addition, the PRC government at times will exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of business in the PRC and may intervene or influence business operations as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. For example, the PRC government has recently initiated a series of regulatory actions and made a number of public statements on the regulation of businesses in China with little advance notice, including enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. While we do not believe we are subject to these regulatory actions or statements, as we have not implemented the kind of monopolistic behavior that is the target of these rules and our business does not involve large-scale collection of user data, implicate cybersecurity, or involve any other type of restricted industry, and therefore these regulatory actions and statements do not impact our ability to conduct our business, accept foreign investments, or list our shares on a foreign exchange, there is no guarantee that the PRC government will refrain from releasing regulations or policies regarding the Company’s industry that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to list our shares on a foreign exchange.

For additional detail, please see “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “Pixelworks” and similar terms refer to Pixelworks, Inc., an Oregon corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is     , 2017.2024.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The distribution of this prospectus may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. You should inform yourself about and observe any of these restrictions. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this document are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this prospectus does not extend to you.

This prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered shares of our common stock to which they relate.

We have not authorized anyone to give any information or make any representation about us that is different from, or in addition to, that contained in this prospectus, including in any of the materials that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and any accompanying prospectus supplement, and any free writing prospectus prepared or authorized by us. Therefore, if anyone does give you information of this sort, you should not rely on it as authorized by us. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.Neither we, nor the selling stockholders, have authorized anyone to provide you with information or make any representation that is different.

You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the documentsuch documents or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of thesuch document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a later date. Neither the delivery of this prospectus, nor any sale made hereunder, shall under any circumstances create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date hereof or that the information incorporated by reference herein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date of such information.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizingusing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the selling stockholderswe may, from time to time, offer and sell the shares of our common stock as described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. The aggregate initial offering price of all the shares of our common stock sold under this prospectus will not exceed $25,000,000.

You should rely only onThis prospectus provides certain general information about the shares of our common stock that we may offer hereunder. Each time we offer shares of our common stock hereunder, we will attach a prospectus supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will contain the specific information about the terms of the offering. In each prospectus supplement, we will include the following information:

In addition, the prospectus supplement may also add, update or change the information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will supersede this prospectus to the extent it contains information that is different from, or that conflicts with, the information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. The registration statement we filed with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more detail of the matters discussed in this prospectus. You should read and consider all information contained in this prospectus and the related exhibits filed with the SEC and any accompanying prospectus supplement in making your investment decision. You should also read and consider the information contained in the documents identified under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus.

Pixelworks is a leading provider of high-performance and power-efficient visual processing semiconductor and software solutions that enable consistently high-quality and authentic viewing experiences in a wide variety of applications. We are incorporated in Oregon, and our principal executive office is located in Portland, Oregon. We define our primary target markets as Mobile (smartphone and tablet), Home & Enterprise (projectors, personal video recorders, and over-the-air streaming devices), and Cinema (creation, remastering, and delivery of digital video content). During the third quarter of 2021, we engaged in a strategic plan to re-align our Mobile and Home & Enterprise businesses to improve their focus on their Asia-centered customers and employee stakeholders. Our subsidiary, PWSH, now operates these businesses as a full profit-and-loss center underneath Pixelworks. PWSH has a branch office located in Shenzhen, China (Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Shenzhen Branch Office No. 1), which is primarily for sales and customer support for PWSH, and a subsidiary located in Hong Kong (Pixelworks Hong Kong Limited), which has no employees and is used for distribution of PWSH products. Pixelworks has an additional subsidiary in China (Frame Shadow Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (formerly called Mucheng Huai Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd)) which is a research and development center for our TrueCut business. This subsidiary does not operate under PWSH, but rather is owned by Pixelworks through our Oregon limited liability company, Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology Company, LLC.

More than a majority of our operations are in China, but our executive officers and all of our directors but one are located in the United States (and he resides in Singapore). We are neither a PRC operating company nor do we conduct our operations in China through the use of variable interest entities.

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Our subsidiaries in China are required to obtain certain permits and licenses from certain PRC government agencies to operate businesses in China, such as business licenses from the State Administration for Market Regulation, or the SAMR, registrations with PRC tax authorities, filings with PRC customs for carrying out export and import business activities and registrations with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) for the ability to receive funds from offshore entities and transfer funds to offshore entities. The Company has determined, in consultation with its general counsel, that we are not currently required to obtain permissions or approvals from the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC. The Company is also not currently required to obtain permissions or approvals from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, but would need to obtain approval from CSRC if PWSH applies for the Listing, and as a listed company PWSH would continue to be subject to CSRC rules and regulations. As of the date of this prospectus, our Chinese subsidiaries have obtained the required business licenses from the SAMR and complied with registration and filing requirements of other Chinese government agencies, and have not been denied such registrations or filings by any PRC authority, however, if we do not receive or maintain the necessary permissions or approvals, inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or applicable laws, regulations or interpretations change and we become required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future and we fail to do so, we may be subject to investigations, fines, penalties, suspensions in operations, or other punitive action which could result in a material adverse change in our PRC operations and our results of operation, which in turn could cause our stock price to be materially and adversely affected.

We face additional legal and operational risks associated with our operations in China that could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. These risks are included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, oras well as in any prospectus supplement. We and the selling stockholders have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus or anyapplicable prospectus supplement, is accurate as of any date other thanupdated by our subsequent filings under the dateExchange Act, and are included in “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus, including:

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In addition, the Company faces certain liquidity risks from its operations in China. PWSH has, in the past, and may decide in the future, to sell shares of its stock, such as in a private placement similar to that which closed in August 2021, in an initial public offering on a stock exchange located in China, such as the STAR Market, or otherwise. In addition, PWSH may, in the future, become profitable. Any proceeds raised or generated by PWSH are subject to certain PRC laws and regulations that may make it difficult, if not impossible, for the Company to use such proceeds to fund its operations outside of China. For example, China’s government imposes control over the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies, which can cause difficulties converting cash held in RMB to other currencies. It is therefore unlikely that funds raised or generated by PWSH will be readily distributable to the Company or its U.S. shareholders. To date, no dividends or distributions have been made by PWSH to either the Company or its U.S. investors. Additionally, cash is transferred through the Company between entities through settling cash owed between one entity and another, for example for services rendered, through intercompany agreements, and the Company intends to continue settling amounts owed in the ordinary course of business in this manner. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, an aggregate of $28.4 million in cash was transferred from the Company to PWSH, and $33.4 million from PWSH to the Company as part of such settlements. While currently the Company has been able to settle cash owed between PWSH and other entities within the Company, PRC laws and regulations could change so as to make it more difficult, if not impossible, to make such transfers in the future, which in turn would adversely affect our results of operations.

For additional detail, please see “Risk Factors” on page 4 of this prospectus.

“PIXELWORKS,” “TrueCut Motion,” “MotionEngine” and the Pixelworks logo are our trademarks. This prospectus supplement, respectively, or thatand the information contained in any documentdocuments incorporated by reference into this prospectus may also contain trademarks and trade names that are the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or any prospectus supplement is accurate asdisplay of any date other than the datecompanies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply relationships with, or endorsements or sponsorship of the document incorporatedus by, reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any sale made under this prospectus.

This prospectus may be supplemented from time to time by one or more prospectus supplements. Any such prospectus supplements may include additional or different information, such as additional or different risk factors orthese other special considerations applicable to us or our business, financial condition or results of operations. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information contained in the prospectus supplement.

This prospectus is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than those registered by this prospectus, nor it is an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities where an offer or solicitation would be unlawful.

We urge you to read carefully this prospectus (as supplemented and amended) before deciding whether to purchase any of the shares of our common stock being offered.companies.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “Pixelworks” and similar terms refer to Pixelworks, Inc., an Oregon corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in shares of our common stock involves risk. Before making any investment decision, you should carefully consider the risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement and under the caption “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual reportAnnual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequent quarterly reportsQuarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as well as in any applicable prospectus supplement, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act.

These risks could materially affect our business, results of operation or financial condition and affect the value of our common stock. You could lose all or part of your investment. For more information, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

We face additional legal and operational risks associated with our operations in China that could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. These risks are included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as well as in any applicable prospectus supplement, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and include the following:

We face additional risks associated with our operations in China, including the risk of changes in China’s political, economic or social conditions or changes in U.S.-China relations, as well as liquidity risks, any of which may adversely and materially affect our results of operations, financial position and value of our securities.

We have, and expect to continue to have, more than a majority of our operations in China as one of our Chinese subsidiaries, PWSH, is a full profit-and-loss center underneath the Company for our Mobile and Home & Enterprise businesses. The economy of China differs from the economies of the United States in important respects such as structure, government involvement, level of development, growth rate, capital reinvestment, allocation of resources, self-sufficiency, rate of inflation, foreign currency flows and balance of payments position, among others. There can be no assurance that China’s economic policies will be consistent or effective and because more than a majority of our operations are in China, our results of operations, financial position and value of our securities may be materially harmed by changes in China’s political, economic or social conditions. Additionally, the political and economic relationship between the U.S. and China is uncertain, and any changes in policy as a result may adversely affect our business. For example, recent statements and actions by the United States regarding the export of certain semiconductor technology, although not applicable to our technology or products, could result in responsive actions taken by China that could adversely impact our operations, financial position, or the value of our securities.

In addition, the Company faces certain liquidity risks from its operations in China. PWSH has, in the past, and may decide in the future, to sell shares of its stock, such as in a private placement similar to that which closed in August 2021, in an initial public offering on a stock exchange located in China, such as the STAR Market, or otherwise. In addition, PWSH may, in the future, become profitable. Any proceeds raised or generated by PWSH are subject to certain PRC laws and regulations that may make it difficult, if not impossible, for the Company to use such proceeds to fund its operations outside of China. For example, China’s government imposes control over the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies, which can cause difficulties converting cash held in RMB to other currencies. It is therefore unlikely that funds raised or generated by PWSH will be readily distributable to the Company or its U.S. shareholders. To date, no dividends or distributions have been made by PWSH to either the Company or its U.S. investors. Additionally, cash is transferred through the Company between entities through settling cash owed between one entity and another, for example for services rendered, through intercompany agreements, and the Company intends to continue settling amounts owed in the ordinary course of

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business in this manner. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, an aggregate of $28.4 million in cash was transferred from the Company to PWSH, and $33.4 million from PWSH to the Company as part of such settlements. While currently the Company has been able to settle cash owed between PWSH and other entities within the Company, PRC laws and regulations could change so as to make it more difficult, if not impossible, to make such transfers in the future, which in turn would adversely affect our results of operations.

We face legal and operational risks related to the PRC legal system, including uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws, and sudden or unexpected changes in laws, required approvals and permissions, and regulations in China, which could adversely affect us and limit the legal protections available to the Company and its stockholders, as well as materially and adversely affect our business and value of our securities.

While the overall effect of legislation over the past two decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various foreign investments in China, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system based on the rule of law, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. Because the PRC legal system continues to evolve rapidly, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to the Company. Uncertainties due to evolving laws and regulations could also impede the ability of an entity based in China, such as our Chinese subsidiaries, to obtain or maintain permits or licenses required to conduct business in China. In addition, some regulatory requirements issued by certain PRC government authorities may not be consistently applied by other PRC government authorities (including local government authorities), thus making strict compliance with all regulatory requirements impractical, or in some circumstances impossible. In addition, China’s legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all, which may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until after the violation occurs. Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Further, since Chinese administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings. These uncertainties may also impede our ability to enforce the contracts entered into by our Chinese subsidiaries and could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The PRC government at times will exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of business in the PRC and may intervene or influence business operations as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political and societal goals. Our Chinese subsidiaries are required to obtain certain permits and licenses from certain PRC government agencies to operate businesses in China, such as business licenses from the SAMR, registrations with PRC tax authorities, filings with PRC customs for carrying out export and import business activities and registrations with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) for the ability to receive funds from offshore entities and transfer funds to offshore entities. The Company has determined, in consultation with its general counsel, that we are not currently required to obtain permissions or approvals from the CAC. The Company is also not currently required to obtain permissions or approvals from the CSRC, but would need to obtain approval from CSRC if PWSH applies for the Listing, and as a listed company PWSH would continue to be subject to CSRC rules and regulations. As of the date of this prospectus, our Chinese subsidiaries have obtained the required business licenses from the SAMR and complied with registration and filing requirements of other Chinese government agencies, and have not been denied such registrations or filings by any PRC authority, however, if we do not receive or maintain the necessary permissions or approvals, inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or applicable laws, regulations or interpretations change and we become required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future and we fail to do so, we may be subject to investigations, fines, penalties, suspensions in operations, or other punitive action which could result in a material adverse change in our PRC operations and our results of operation, which in turn could cause our stock price to be materially and adversely affected.

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Additionally, rules and regulations in China can change quickly and with little advance notice. For example, the PRC government has recently initiated a series of regulatory actions and made a number of public statements on the regulation of businesses in China with little advance notice, including enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. While we do not believe we are subject to these regulatory actions or statements, as we have not implemented the kind of monopolistic behavior that is the target of these rules, and our business does not involve large-scale collection of user data, implicate cybersecurity, or involve any other type of restricted industry, and therefore these regulatory actions and statements do not impact our ability to conduct our business, accept foreign investments into PWSH, or list our PWSH shares on the STAR Market, there is no guarantee that the PRC government will refrain from releasing regulations or policies regarding the Company’s industry that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to list PWSH shares on the STAR Market.

If we are unable to implement our strategy to expand our PRC operations, including the positioning of PWSH to qualify and seek an initial public offering on the STAR Market, our ability to access capital, customers, and talent in China could suffer, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our worldwide growth and revenue potential.

In August 2021, we announced our strategic plan to transform PWSH into a profit center for our Mobile and Home & Enterprise businesses to improve our access to capital, customers, and talent in China. As part of this strategic plan, we intend to qualify PWSH to file an application for an initial public offering on the STAR Market to further improve our access to capital markets and to fund growth. We may not be successful in the implementation of our strategic plan, and we may not be able to complete the Listing for a number of reasons, including those related to the risks we face associated with our operations in China as detailed separately above, many of which are outside our control. With respect to the Listing, PWSH must succeed in obtaining PRC governmental approvals required to permit the Listing, and one or more of those approvals may be denied, or significantly delayed, by the PRC regulators for reasons outside our control or unknown to us, or may be conditioned on requirements that we deem would result in an undue burden or material adverse impact on our business. Similarly, the Listing application may be denied or delayed by the Shanghai Stock Exchange, or the SSE, in its discretion. Further, the COVID-19 outbreak, the tensions between the United States and China, or other geopolitical forces, including war, could negatively impact our currently planned projects and investments in the PRC, including the Listing.

Additionally, pursuant to our August 2021 Capital Increase Agreement and the agreements for the employee-owned entities that have invested in PWSH, or the ESOP, PWSH agreed to attempt to complete all requirements to qualify for a Listing such that the Listing is consummated prior to a certain date (for the private equity and strategic investors, or Investors, June 30, 2024, and for the ESOP, December 31, 2024). If PWSH has not consummated the Listing before those dates, or if it seriously violates certain other restructuring actions required by the Capital Increase Agreement such that a Listing by such dates becomes impossible, the respective purchasers may elect to require that we repurchase the purchaser’s respective equity interest for a price equal to the initial purchase price paid by the purchaser (and for the ESOP, plus annual simple interest at a rate of 5%). As noted above, various elements in the Listing process are outside our control or may be subject to conditions that are unacceptable to us, and if we fail to obtain the Listing, the provisions of the Capital Increase Agreement would require a use of cash for purposes not otherwise planned for, which in turn would negatively impact our plans for growth and our cash position.

The CSRC and the SSE have recently tightened the standards for the STAR Market and are currently advising companies that are not yet profitable under China generally accepted accounting principles, or China GAAP, standards against filing an IPO application in the present environment. The Company believes this is in large part due to the current economic conditions in China and the recent performance of companies already listed on the STAR Market that were not profitable at the time of their IPO. PWSH is not currently profitable under China GAAP standards. The CSRC and the SSE may relax the standards, but there is no guarantee that this will happen

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in any particular time frame. The Company will continue to prepare our application so it is ready to file once the situation changes or PWSH achieves profitability under China GAAP standards. There can be no assurances that the Listing will occur at all. In the interim, PWSH may require additional funding from Pixelworks to augment its PRC operations, and we cannot give any assurance that such capital will be available from Pixelworks on terms acceptable to us. Any such inability to obtain funds from Pixelworks or other sources may impair the ability of PWSH to grow its operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results and on the price of our common stock.

If we are unable to successfully implement our strategic plan, including the Listing, we may not realize the advantages to our PRC operations contemplated by our business strategy, including improving our access to capital markets, customers, and talent in China. Because it may be several years before we know whether the Listing will be completed, we may, in the interim, forego or postpone other alternative actions to strengthen our market position and operations in the PRC.

PRC companies are critical to the global semiconductor industry, and our current business is substantially concentrated in the PRC market. Our inability to build, or any delay in growing, our PRC-based operations over the next several years would materially and adversely limit our operations and operating results, including our revenue growth. In addition, during that time, the process underlying the Listing could result in significant diversion of management time as well as substantial out-of-pocket costs, which could further impair our ability to expand our business.

Even if we complete the Listing, we may not achieve the results contemplated by our business strategy and our strategy for growth in the PRC may not result in increases in the price of our common stock.

We cannot assure you that, even if the Listing is completed, we will realize any or all of our anticipated benefits of the Listing. Our completion of the Listing may not have the anticipated effects of providing access to new capital markets or strengthening our market position and operations in the PRC. If the Listing is completed, PWSH will have broad discretion in the use of the proceeds from the initial sales of shares to PWSH investors, and it may not spend or invest those proceeds in a manner that results in our operating success or with which the common shareholders of Pixelworks agree. Our failure to successfully leverage the completion of the Listing to enhance our access to new capital markets and expand our PRC business could result in a decrease in the price of our common stock, and we cannot assure you that the success of PWSH will have an associated positive effect on the price of our common stock.

If the Listing is completed, PWSH’s status as a publicly traded company in China that is controlled, but less than wholly owned, by Pixelworks could have an adverse effect on us.

PWSH is not currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Pixelworks, and following the Listing, other holders may hold as much as 30% of the subsidiary. The interests of PWSH may diverge from the interests of Pixelworks and its other subsidiaries in the future. We may face conflicts of interest in managing, financing, or engaging in transactions with PWSH, or allocating business opportunities between our subsidiaries, including future arrangements for operating subsidiaries other than PWSH to license and use our intellectual property.

Pixelworks will retain majority ownership of PWSH after the Listing, but PWSH will be managed by a separate board of directors and officers and those directors and officers will owe fiduciary duties to the various stakeholders of PWSH, including shareholders other than Pixelworks. In the operation of PWSH’s business, there may be situations that arise whereby the directors and officers of PWSH, in the exercise of their fiduciary duties, take actions that may be contrary to the best interests of Pixelworks or its shareholders. Additionally, because PWSH will be managed by a separate board of directors and officers, our organizational structure will become more complex, which may in turn require substantial financial, operational, and management resources.

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In the future, PWSH may issue options, restricted shares, and other forms of share-based compensation to its directors, officers, and employees, which could dilute Pixelworks’ ownership in PWSH. In addition, PWSH may engage in capital raising activities in the future that could further dilute Pixelworks’ ownership interest.

The STAR Market is relatively new, and as a result, it is difficult to predict the effect of the proposed Listing, which may in turn negatively affect the price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market.

The CSRC initially launched the STAR Market in June 2019 and trading on that market began in July 2019. No assurance can be given regarding the effect of the Listing on the market price of PWSH shares or on the price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market. The market price of the PWSH shares and Pixelworks common stock may be volatile or may decline for reasons other than the risk and uncertainties described above, as the result of investor negativity or uncertainty with respect to the proposed Listing.

If the Listing is completed, Pixelworks and PWSH both will be public reporting companies, but each will be subject to separate, and potentially inconsistent, accounting and disclosure requirements, which may lead to investor confusion or uncertainty that could cause decreased demand for, or fluctuations in the price of, one or both of the companies’ publicly traded shares.

If PWSH completes the Listing, it will be subject to accounting, disclosure, and other regulatory requirements of the STAR Market. At the same time, Pixelworks will remain subject to accounting, disclosure, and other regulatory requirements of the SEC and the Nasdaq Global Market. As a result, Pixelworks and PWSH periodically will disclose information simultaneously pursuant to differing laws and regulations. The information disclosed by the two companies will differ, and may differ materially from time to time, due to the distinct, and potentially inconsistent, accounting standards applicable to the two companies and disclosure requirements imposed by securities regulatory authorities, as well as differences in language, culture, and expression habit, in composition of investors in the United States and PRC, and in the capital markets of the United States and the PRC. Differing disclosures could lead to confusion or uncertainty among investors in the publicly traded shares of one or both companies. Differences between the price of PWSH shares on the STAR Market and the price of Pixelworks common stock on Nasdaq Global Market could lead to increased volatility, as some investors seek to arbitrage price differences. Additionally, news about PWSH may affect the price of Pixelworks’ common stock, and vice versa, creating additional uncertainty and volatility.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and may involve material risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Given these risks and uncertainties you should not place undue reliance on these forward lookingforward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements typically are identified by the use of terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and which may cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future offerings pursuant hereto, including the use of any net proceeds and plan of distribution related thereto, and statements with respect to our business and strategy, including consumer consumption patterns, changes in technology, demand, the application of our technologies, our intention to pursue an initial public offering in China with respect to PWSH and the benefits and implications thereof. A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from our forward-looking statements is included in our periodic reports filed with the SEC. Additional cautionary statements or discussions of risks and uncertainties that could affect outour results or the achievement of the expectations described in forward-looking statements may also be contained in the documents we incorporate by reference into this prospectus.

In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: our ability to execute on our strategy, including the integration of ViXS, competitive factors, such as rival chip architectures, introduction or traction by competing designs, or pricing pressures; the success of our products in expandedexpanding markets; current global economic challenges; changes in the digital display and projection markets; seasonality in the consumer electronics market; our efforts to achieve profitability from operations; our limited financial resources andresources; our ability to attract and retain key personnel. You should, however, review additional disclosures we makepersonnel; our international operations; our operations in China, including any changes to China’s political, economic or social conditions or changes in U.S.-China relations; our ability to implement our strategy to expand our operations in the PRC; our ability to access capital, customers and talent in China; our ability to seek an initial public offering in China and the other risks, uncertainties and factors described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and or Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly release the results of any revision or update of these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. If we do update or correct one or more forward-looking statements, you should not conclude that we will make additional updates or corrections with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements.

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THE COMPANY

Pixelworks designs, developsis a leading provider of high-performance and power-efficient visual processing semiconductor and software solutions that enable consistently high-quality and authentic viewing experiences in a wide variety of applications. We define our primary target markets visual display processing semiconductors, intellectual property cores, softwareas Mobile (smartphone and custom ASIC solutions for high-qualitytablet), Home & Enterprise (projectors, personal video recorders, or PVR, and over-the-air, or OTA, streaming devices), and Cinema (creation, remastering, and delivery of digital video applications.content). Previously we classified our primary target markets as Mobile, Projector, Video Delivery and Cinema, but have since aggregated the Projector and Video Delivery categories into one called “Home & Enterprise”.

Pixelworks has been a pioneer in visual processing technology for over 20 years. We were one of the first companies to commercially launch a video System on Chip, or SoC, capable of deinterlacing 1080i HDTV signals and one of the first companies with a commercial dual-channel 1080i deinterlacer integrated circuit. We launched one of the industry’s first single-chip SoCs for digital projection. We were the first company to integrate motion estimation/motion compensation technology, or MEMC, as a mobile-optimized solution for smartphones. In addition,2019, we introduced our Hollywood award-winning TrueCut Motion^™ video platform, the Company offers a suiteindustry’s first motion grading technology that allows fine tuning of solutions for advanced media processing as well as the efficient delivery and streaming of video.motion appearance in cinematic content.

The Company enables worldwide manufacturers to offer leading-edge consumer electronics and professional display products, as well as video delivery and streaming solutions for content service providers. Our core visual display processing technology intelligently processes digital images and video from a variety of sources and optimizes the content for a superior viewing experience. Pixelworks’ video coding technology reduces storage requirements, overcomes bandwidth constraints and converts content between multiple formats to enable seamless delivery of video, including over-the-air (OTA) streaming, while also maintaining end-to-end content security.

The rapidRapid growth in video-capable consumer devices,video and gaming consumption, combined with the move towards bright, high resolution, high frame rate and high refresh rate displays, especially in mobile, has increasedis increasing the demand for visual display processing and video delivery technology in recent years.our solutions. Our technologies can be applied toacross a wide range of devices from large-screen projectors to applications: cinema theaters, low-power mobile tablets, smartphones, high-quality video infrastructure equipmentstreaming devices, and streaming devices.digital projectors for the home, school, or the workplace. Our products are architecteddesigned and optimized for power, cost, bandwidth, viewer experience, and overall system performance, according to the requirements of the specific application. On occasion, we have also licensed our technology.

During the third quarter of 2021, we engaged in a strategic plan to re-align our Mobile and Home & Enterprise businesses to improve their focus on their Asia-centered customers and employee stakeholders. Our primary targetsubsidiary, PWSH, now operates these businesses as a full profit-and-loss center underneath Pixelworks. PWSH has a branch office located in Shenzhen, China (Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Shenzhen Branch Office No. 1), which is primarily for sales and customer support for PWSH, and a subsidiary located in Hong Kong (Pixelworks Hong Kong Limited), which has no employees and is used for distribution of PWSH products. Pixelworks has an additional subsidiary in China (Frame Shadow Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (formerly called Mucheng Huai Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd)) which is a research and development center for our TrueCut business. This subsidiary does not operate under PWSH, but rather is owned by Pixelworks through our Oregon limited liability company, Pixelworks Semiconductor Technology Company, LLC.

PWSH is in the process of preparing to file an application for an initial public offering of PWSH shares on the STAR Market. We believe that the Listing will have many benefits, including improved access to new capital markets include digital projection systems, tablets, smartphones, and OTA streaming devices.the funding of PWSH’s growth worldwide. The process of going public on the STAR Market is lengthy and includes several periods of review by various government agencies of the PRC such as the CSRC and the SSE. There is no guarantee that PWSH will be approved for a Listing at any point in the future. The CSRC and the SSE have recently tightened the standards for the STAR Market and are currently advising companies that are not yet profitable under China GAAP standards against filing an initial public offering application in the present environment. We believe this is in large part due to the current economic conditions in China and the recent performance of companies already listed on the STAR Market that were not profitable at the time of their initial public offering. PWSH is not currently profitable under China GAAP standards. The CSRC and the SSE may relax the standards, but there is no guarantee that this will happen in any particular time frame. We will continue to prepare our application so it is ready to file once the situation changes or PWSH achieves profitability under China GAAP standards. Any listing of PWSH on the STAR Market will not change the status of Pixelworks as a U.S. public company. We are neither a PRC operating company nor do we conduct our operations in China through the use of variable interest entities.

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Pixelworks was founded in 1997 and is incorporated under the laws of the state of Oregon. Our executive offices are located at 224 Airport Parkway,16760 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd., Suite 400, San Jose, California 95110,101, Portland, OR 97224, our telephone number is (408) 200-9200(503) 601-4545 and our website is www.pixelworks.com. Our website, andWe do not incorporate the information contained therein, ison, or accessible through, our website into this prospectus, and you should not aconsider any information on, or accessible through, our website as part of this prospectus.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We are filing the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part pursuant to our contractual obligation to the holders of the convertible debentures namedExcept as may be stated in the section entitled “Selling Stockholders.” We will notapplicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds we receive any of the proceeds from the resale of shares of our common stock from time to time by such selling stockholders. See “Plan of Distribution.”

The selling stockholders will pay any underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses they incur for brokerage, accounting, tax or legal services or any other expenses they incur in disposing of the shares. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of the shares covered by this prospectus. These may include, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, NASDAQ Global Market listing fees, fees and expenses of our counsel and accountants, and blue sky fees and expenses.

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The convertible debentures were originally issued by ViXS Systems, Inc. prior to our acquisition of ViXS and may be converted, at the option of the holder prior to their maturity, into shares of our common stock. If we issue shares of our common stock upon conversion of the convertible debentures, the selling stockholders may use this prospectus to resell from time to time the shares of our common stock that we may issue to them upon such conversion.

Information about certain selling stockholders is set forth herein, and information about additional selling stockholders may be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment, or in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Selling stockholders, including their transferees, pledgees or donees or their successors, may from time to time offer and sell pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement any or allsale of the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, increasing our working capital, financing of ongoing operating expenses and overhead, repayment of indebtedness, future acquisitions and strategic investment opportunities, and funding of capital expenditures and research and product development. Pending the application of the net proceeds, we may issue uponinvest the conversion of the convertible debentures.

The following table sets forth information, as of October 20, 2017, with respect to the selling stockholdersproceeds in marketable securities and the number of shares of our common stock that would become beneficially owned by each selling stockholder should we issue our common stock to such selling stockholder that may be offered pursuant to this prospectus upon the conversion of the convertible debentures. The information is based on information provided by or on behalf of the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders may offer all, some or none of the shares of our common stock which we may issue upon the conversion of the convertible debentures. Because the selling stockholders may offer all or some portion of such shares of our common stock, we cannot estimate the number of shares of our common stock that will be held by the selling stockholders upon termination of any of these sales. In addition, the selling stockholders identified below may have sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of all or a portion of their convertible debentures or shares of our common stock since the date on which they provided the information regarding their convertible debentures in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.short-term investments.

The number of shares of our common stock owned by the other selling stockholders or any future transferee from any such holder assumes that they do not beneficially own any shares of common stock other than the common stock that we may issue to them upon the conversion of the convertible debentures.

Based upon information provided by the selling stockholders, none of the selling stockholders nor any of their affiliates, officers, directors or principal equity holders has held any positions or office or has had any material relationship with us within the past three years.

To the extent any of the selling stockholders identified below are broker-dealers, they may be deemed to be, under interpretations of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, we believe that the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of our common stock beneficially owned. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table is c/o Pixelworks, Inc. 224 Airport Parkway, Suite 400, San Jose, California 95110.

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5

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

This section describes the general terms and provisions of the shares of our capital stock. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended, and our amended and restated bylaws have been filed as exhibits to our periodic reports filed with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Where You Can Find More Information.” Our authorized capital stock consists of 250,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001.$0.001 per share. The preferred stock is undesignated as to series, rights, preferences, privileges or restrictions.

Common Stock

We have one existing class of common stock. As of December 31, 2023, there were 57,116,754 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. Holders of our voting common stock are entitled to one vote per share for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of common shareholders. Holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights.

The holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to participate ratably in dividends as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments.payments, subject to the preferential rights of the holders of any shares of preferred stock that may be issued in the future. To date, we have never declared a dividend and our board of directors does not have any plans to do so in the future. The holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matter to be voted upon by Pixelworks shareholders. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended, do not provide for cumulative voting in connection with the election of directors. Accordingly, directors are elected by a plurality of the shares of common stock voting once a quorum is present. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, after full payment of all debts and other liabilities and liquidation preferences of any other series of common stock and any preferred stock, the holders of shares of our existing common stock are entitled to share ratably in all remaining assets. Our common stock has no preemptive subscription or conversion rights.

Our common stock is listed on The NASDAQthe Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PXLW.”

Broadridge FinancialCorporate Issuer Solutions, Inc. is the Transfer Agent and Registrar for our common stock.

Preferred Stock

OurAs of December 31, 2023, no shares of preferred stock were outstanding. Under our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended, our board of directors is authorized to issue from time to time, without further vote or action by the shareholders, up to an aggregate of 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to determine or alter the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to or imposed on any wholly unissued series of preferred stock, including:

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714

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus to one or more underwriters or dealers for public offering and sale by them or to investors directly or through agents. The selling stockholders, which,accompanying prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering and the method of distribution and will identify any firms acting as used herein includes donees, pledgees, transfereesunderwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering, including:

Only those underwriters identified in such prospectus supplement are deemed to be underwriters in connection with the shares of common stock received afteroffered in the dateprospectus supplement.

The distribution of this prospectus from a selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer,the shares of common stock may be effected from time to time sell, transferin one or otherwise dispose of anymore transactions at a fixed price or all of their shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility onprices, which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be changed, or at fixed prices determined as the applicable prospectus supplement specifies, including at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale or at negotiatedprices related to such prevailing market prices.

The selling stockholdersshares of common stock may use any onebe sold through a rights offering, forward contracts or moresimilar arrangements, and cross or block trades. Additionally, the shares of our common stock may also be sold in “at the market offerings” within the meaning of Rule 415 of the following methods when disposing of sharesSecurities Act, including sales made directly on the Nasdaq Global Market or interests therein:

In addition, any shares covered by this prospectus that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than under this prospectus.

The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment or supplement to this prospectus amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

In connection with the sale of our common stockthe shares, underwriters, dealers or interests therein,agents may be deemed to have received compensation from us in the selling stockholdersform of underwriting discounts or commissions and also may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealersreceive commissions from securities purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell the shares to or other financial institutions, whichthrough dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in turn engage in short salesthe form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Some of the common stockunderwriters, dealers or agents who participate in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholdersshare distribution may also sell shares of our common stock short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers thatengage in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with, broker-dealersand perform other services for, us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.

We will provide in the applicable prospectus supplement information regarding any underwriting discounts or other financial institutionscompensation that we pay to underwriters or agents in connection with the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

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The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders from the sale of the common stock offered by them will be the purchase price of the common stock lessoffering, and any discounts, concessions or commissions if any. Each of the selling stockholders reserves the rightwhich underwriters allow to acceptdealers. Underwriters, dealers and together with their agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.

The selling stockholders and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participateparticipating in the sale of the common stock or interests thereinsecurities distribution may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. Anyunderwriters, and any discounts and commissions concessions orthey receive and any profit they earnrealize on anythe resale of the shares may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Selling stockholders who are deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaningAct of the Securities Act will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.1933. Underwriters and their controlling persons, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, and the selling stockholders, to indemnification against and contribution toward specific civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

To comply with the extentsecurities laws of certain states, if applicable, the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be offered and sold in those states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers.

Agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements entered into with us to indemnification by us against specified liabilities, including liabilities incurred under the Securities Act, or to contribution by us to

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payments they may be required to make in respect of such liabilities. The prospectus supplement will describe the terms and conditions of such indemnification or contribution. Some of the agents, underwriters or dealers, or their respective affiliates may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business. We will describe in the prospectus supplement, naming the underwriter, agent or dealer, the nature of any such relationship.

Any person participating in the distribution of common stock registered under the registration statement that includes this prospectus will be subject to the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the applicable SEC rules and regulations, including Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any shares of our common stock to be sold,any such person. Regulation M may also restrict the names of the selling stockholders, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the namesability of any agents, dealer or underwriter, and any applicable discounts, commissions, concessions or other compensationperson engaged in the distribution of our common stock to engage in market-making activities with respect to our common stock. These restrictions may affect the marketability of our common stock and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to our common stock.

Our common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

To facilitate the offering of the shares offered by the selling stockholders, certainnational securities exchange. Certain persons participating in the offering may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affectshort-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M. In addition, in connection with an offering, the priceunderwriters may purchase and sell shares of our common stock in the common stock. Thisopen market. These transactions may include over-allotments or short sales, whichstabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by persons participating in the offeringunderwriters of morea greater number of shares than were soldthey are required to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotmentspurchase in an offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or short positions by making purchases inmade for the open marketpurpose of preventing or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the common stock by bidding for or purchasing sharesretarding a decline in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if shares sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the common stock atwhile an offering is in progress. The underwriters also may impose a level abovepenalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the underwriters have repurchased common stock sold by or for the account of that whichunderwriter in stabilizing or short-covering transactions. These activities by the underwriters may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might otherwise prevailexist in the open market. These transactionsIf these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Pixelworks, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2016, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.16

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Alto Law Group LLC,Tonkon Torp LLP, Portland, Oregon.

EXPERTS

Armanino LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Armanino LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933. This prospectus is part of the registration statement but thestatement. The registration statement also includes and incorporates by reference additional information and exhibits. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy the registration statement and any other document we file with the SEC at the public reference room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies, such as ours, that file documents electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov. The information on the SEC’s website is not part of this prospectus, and any references to this website or any other website are inactive textual references only.

The SEC permits us to “incorporate by reference” the information contained in documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents rather than by including them in this prospectus. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus. Later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information that is either contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus from the date those documents are filed. We have filed with the SEC, and incorporate by reference in this prospectus:

We also incorporate by reference all additional documents that we file with the SEC under the terms of Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are made after the initial filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and the effectiveness of the registration statement, as well as between the date of this prospectus and the termination of any offering of securities offered by this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating, in each case, any documents or information that we are deemed to furnish and not file in accordance with SEC rules.

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You may request a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference but not delivered with this prospectus, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address and telephone number:

Steven Moore, Corporate Secretary

Pixelworks, Inc.

224 Airport Parkway,16760 SW Boones Ferry Rd., Suite 400101

San Jose, CA 95110Portland, OR 97224

(408) 200-9200(503) 601-4545

We will not, however, send exhibits to those documents, unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in those documents.

Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other documents are not necessarily complete, and in each instance you are referred to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference and the exhibits and schedules thereto.

We make available free of charge on our website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file or furnish such materials to the SEC. You may also obtain a free copy of these reports in the Investors section of our website, https://www.pixelworks.com.

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14.

The following table sets forth an estimate of the registrant’sall expenses payable by us in connection with the issuance and distributionoffering of the securitiesour common stock being registered hereby. All amounts are estimates except the SEC registration fee.

Item 15.

As an Oregon corporation, the Company is subject to the Oregon Business Corporation Act, (the “OBCA”)or the OBCA, and the exculpation from liability and indemnification provisions contained therein. Pursuant to Section 60.047(2) of the OBCA and Article V of the Company’s Sixth Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, eliminates the liability of the Company’s directors to the Company or its shareholders, except for any liability related to breach of the duty of loyalty, actions or omissions not in good faith and certain other liabilities.or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, any unlawful distribution under O.R.S. 60.367, or any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit.

Section 60.387 et seq. of the OBCA allows corporations to indemnify their directors and officers against liability where the director or officer has acted in good faith and with a reasonable belief that actions taken were in the best interests of the corporation or at least not adverse to the corporation’s best interests and, if in a criminal proceeding, the individual had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct in question was unlawful. Under the OBCA, corporations may not indemnify against liability in connection with a claim by or in the right of the corporation but may indemnify against the reasonable expenses associated with such claims. Corporations may not indemnify against breaches of the duty of loyalty. The OBCA mandates indemnifications against all reasonable expenses incurred in the successful defense of any claim made or threatened whether or not such claim was by or in the right of the corporation. Finally, a court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not the director or officer met the good faith and reasonable belief standards of conduct set forth in the statute.

The OBCA also provides that the statutory indemnification provisions are not deemed exclusive of any other rights to which directors or officers may be entitled under a corporation’s articles of incorporation or bylaws, any agreement, general or specific action of the board of directors, vote of shareholders or otherwise.

Additionally, we have entered into indemnity agreements with certain of our officers and directors. The indemnity agreements require us to, among other things, indemnify the officer or director against all expenses incurred by such officer or director as a result of being named or threatened to be named as a party to any proceeding as a result of such officer or director’s service in such capacity, provided that such officer or director acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and in the case of a criminal proceeding, that such officer or director had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. The indemnity agreements also require us to indemnify the officer

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or director to the fullest extent permitted by law, provided that no indemnification will be provided if such officer or director’s conduct constitutes a breach of the duty of loyalty to the Company or is an act or omission not in good faith or involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law.

Item 17.Undertakings

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

12(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

provided,(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however,, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Sectionsection 13 or Sectionsection 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

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(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for purposes of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at thethat date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof,provided,thereof. Provided, however,that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5) That, for purposes of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

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(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions described in Item 15, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant, Pixelworks, Inc., certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3, and has duly caused this registration statementPre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be signed on theirits behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Jose,Portland, State of CaliforniaOregon, on October 31, 2017.February 2, 2024.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitute and appoint Todd DeBonis and Steven L. Moore, and each of them, with full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act for him or her in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and any subsequent registration statement the Registrant may hereafter file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act to register additional securities in connection with this registration statement, and to file this registration statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statementPre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated below and on the dates indicated.

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