Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-249934

The information contained in this preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is not complete and may be changed. A registration statement relating to these securities has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities and are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion, Dated December 9, 2020

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus dated November 16, 2020)

             Shares

Common Stock

We are offering                  shares of our common stock. Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PXLW.” On December 8, 2020, the last reported sale price of shares of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market was $2.80 per share.

	Per Share	Total
Public offering price	$	$
Underwriting discounts(1)	$	$
Proceeds to us, before expenses	$	$

(1) In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses. See “Underwriting” on page S-18 of this prospectus supplement for additional information.

We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase, within 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, up to an additional                  shares of our common stock at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully review the risks and uncertainties referenced under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus and the documents that are incorporated by reference herein and therein.

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

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares offered hereby on or about December     , 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Joint Book-Running Managers

Roth Capital Partners Craig-Hallum Capital Group

The date of this prospectus supplement is December     , 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page
Prospectus Supplement
About This Prospectus Supplement		S-1
Prospectus Supplement Summary		S-3
The Offering		S-5
Risk Factors		S-6
Forward-Looking Statements		S-10
Use of Proceeds		S-12
Dilution		S-13
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders		S-14
Underwriting		S-18
Legal Matters		S-26
Experts		S-26
Where You Can Find More Information		S-26
Incorporation of Information By Reference		S-26

	Page
Prospectus
About This Prospectus		1
Risk Factors		2
Forward-Looking Statements		2
The Company		3
Use of Proceeds		4
Description of Capital Stock		4
Plan of Distribution		6
Experts		7
Legal Matters		7
Where You Can Find More Information		7

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This document is part of a registration statement that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process and consists of two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering and also supplements and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. This prospectus supplement may add, update, or change information contained in the accompanying prospectus. If the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs or varies from, or is inconsistent with, the information contained in the accompanying prospectus, or the information contained in any document incorporated by reference that was filed with the SEC before the date of this prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information set forth in this prospectus supplement.

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone else to provide you with information that is in addition to or different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, along with the information contained in any permitted free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may provide.

The information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the date of the accompanying prospectus, and the information in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or of any sale of our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. It is important for you to read and consider all information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in making your investment decision. You should read both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as well as the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the additional information described under “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus before investing in our common stock.

We further note that the representations, warranties, and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties, and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.

We use various trademarks and trade names in our business, including without limitation our corporate name and logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein may be referred to without the ^® and ^™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.

You should not consider this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus to be an offer or solicitation relating to the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation relating to the securities is not authorized. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United

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States. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus supplement by any person in any jurisdiction if the person making the offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or if it is unlawful for you to receive such an offer or solicitation.

Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus concerning our business and the industry and markets in which we operate, including with respect to our business prospects, our market position and opportunity, and the competitive landscape, is based on information from our management’s estimates, as well as from industry publications, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Our management’s estimates are derived from publicly available information, their knowledge of our business and industry, and assumptions based on such information and knowledge, which they believe to be reasonable. In addition, while we believe that information contained in the industry publications, surveys and studies has been obtained from reliable sources, we have not independently verified any of the data contained in these third-party sources, and the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in these sources is not guaranteed. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market, and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical, and general publications, government data and similar sources.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to “Pixelworks,” “company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Pixelworks, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights selected information about us and this offering. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing. Before investing in our common stock, you should read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors,” and the financial statements and accompanying notes and other information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

Overview

Pixelworks is a leading provider of high-performance and power-efficient visual processing solutions that bridge the gap between video content formats and rapidly advancing display capabilities. We develop and market semiconductor and software solutions that enable consistently high-quality, authentic viewing experiences in a wide variety of applications from cinema to smartphones. Our primary target markets include Mobile (smartphone, gaming and tablet), Home Entertainment (TV, personal video recorder (“PVR”), over-the-air (“OTA”) and projector), Content (creation, remastering and delivery), and Business & Education (projector).

We were one of the first companies to commercially launch a video System on Chip (“SoC”) capable of deinterlacing 1080i HDTV signals and one of the first companies with a commercial dual-channel 1080i deinterlacer integrated circuit. Our Topaz product line was one of the industry’s first single-chip SoC for digital projection. We first introduced our motion estimation / motion compensation technology (“MEMC”) for TVs and in recent years introduced a mobile-optimized MEMC solution for smartphones, one of several unique features in the mobile-optimized Iris visual processor. In 2019, we introduced our Hollywood award-winning TrueCut^® video platform, the industry’s first motion grading technology that allows fine tuning of motion appearance in cinematic content for a wide range of frame rates, shutter angles and display types.

Our solutions enable 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. Our video coding technology reduces storage requirements, significantly reduces bandwidth constraint issues and converts content between multiple formats to enable seamless delivery of video, including OTA streaming, while also maintaining end-to-end content security.

Rapid growth in video consumption, combined with the move towards high frame rate / refresh rate displays, especially in mobile, is increasing the demand for our visual processing and video delivery solutions. Our technologies can be applied to a wide range of devices from large-screen projectors and cinematic big screens, to low-power mobile tablets, smartphones, high-quality video infrastructure equipment and streaming devices. Our products are architected and optimized for power, cost, bandwidth, and overall system performance, according to the requirements of the specific application. On occasion, we have also licensed our technology.

As of September 30, 2020, we held an intellectual property portfolio of 344 patents related to the visual display of digital image data. We focus our research and development efforts on developing video algorithms that improve quality, and architectures that reduce system power, cost, bandwidth and increase overall system performance and device functionality. We seek to expand our technology portfolio through internal development and co-development with business partners, and we continually evaluate acquisition opportunities and other ways to leverage our technology into other high-value markets.

Our product development strategy is to leverage our expertise in video display processing to address the evolving needs of our target markets. We plan to continue to focus our development resources to maintain our position in these markets by providing leading edge solutions for the advanced digital projection and video delivery markets and to enhance our video processing solutions for mobile markets. We deliver our technology in a variety of offerings, which take the form of single-purpose chips, highly integrated SoCs that incorporate specialized software, full solutions incorporating software and other tools and IP cores that allow our technology to be incorporated into third-party solutions.

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Corporate Information

We were incorporated in Oregon in 1997. Our principal executive offices are located at 226 Airport Parkway, Suite 595, San Jose, California 95110, and our telephone number is (408) 200-9200. Our website address is www.pixelworks.com. We do not incorporate the information on, or accessible through, our website into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or accessible through, our website as part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

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THE OFFERING

Common stock offered by us                  shares

Common stock to be outstanding immediately after the offering                  shares

Option to purchase additional shares We have granted the underwriters an option exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement to purchase up to an additional                  shares of common stock from us.

Use of proceeds We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $         million (or approximately $         million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).

We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, assets, or technologies, although we have no present commitments or agreements to do so. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Risk factors Investing in our common stock involves significant risks. See “Risk Factors” on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and under similar headings in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for a discussion of the factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our common stock.

Nasdaq Global Market symbol “PXLW”

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 41,537,358 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2020, which excludes:

• 457,225 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of September 30, 2020, with a weighted-average exercise price of $2.71 per share;

• 2,907,033 unvested restricted stock units (“RSUs”) as of September 30, 2020;

• 2,600,177 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2006 Plan”);

• 1,925,280 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”); and

• 3,200,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to that certain Amended and Restated Securities Purchase Agreement dated December 4, 2020 between Pixelworks and the investors named therein.

Unless otherwise indicated, all information contained in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares or the outstanding options or vesting of the RSUs described above.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described below and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings, each of which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and all of the other information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including our financial statements and related notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. If any of these risks is realized, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties that are not yet identified or that we think are immaterial may also materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition and could result in a complete loss of your investment.

Risks Related to our Common Stock and this Offering

The price of our common stock has and may continue to fluctuate substantially.

Our stock price and the stock prices of technology companies similar to Pixelworks have been highly volatile. In addition, the stock markets have recently experienced significant volatility. The price of our common stock may decline and the value of any investment in our common stock may be reduced regardless of our performance. The daily trading volume of our common stock has historically been relatively low, although, in the three most recent years, trading volume increased compared to historical levels. As a result of the historically low volume, our shareholders may be unable to sell significant quantities of common stock in the public trading markets without a significant reduction in the price of our common shares. Additionally, market fluctuations, as well as general economic and political conditions, including recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may negatively impact the market price of our common stock. Other factors that could negatively impact our stock price include:

• actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results;

• changes in or failure to meet expectations as to our future financial performance;

• changes in or failure to meet financial estimates of securities analysts;

• announcements by us or our competitors of technological innovations, design wins, contracts, standards, acquisitions, or divestitures;

• the operating and stock price performance of other comparable companies;

• issuances or proposed issuances of equity, debt or other securities by us, or sales of securities by our security holders; and

• changes in market valuations of other technology companies.

Any inability or perceived inability of investors to realize a gain on an investment in our common stock could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations by potentially limiting our ability to retain our customers, to attract and retain qualified employees and to raise capital. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

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Purchasers in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of their investment.

Purchasers of our common stock in this offering will experience immediate dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock purchased in this offering because the price per share of common stock in this offering is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding immediately after this offering. If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of $             per share with respect to the net tangible book value of the common stock. See “Dilution” in this prospectus supplement for a detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase shares in this offering.

We will have broad discretion in how we use the net proceeds of this offering. We may not use these proceeds effectively, which could affect our results of operations and cause our stock price to decline.

Although we currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering in the manner described in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus supplement, we will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds of this offering. We may use the net proceeds for purposes that do not yield a significant return or any return at all for our shareholders. In addition, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance shareholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.

The sale or availability for sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of such shares.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, including after expiration of applicable lock-up periods and other legal restrictions on resale, or the perception or indication that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of such shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. We, along with our directors and executive officers, have agreed that for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, subject to specified exceptions, we or they will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock. These lock-up agreements affect approximately 1,439,173 shares, or 3.5%, of our common stock based on 41,537,358 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2020. Roth Capital Partners, LLC, in its sole discretion, may release our common stock and other securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time. Sales of stock by any of our directors and executive officers, or the perception or indication that such sales could occur, could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.

All other outstanding shares of common stock will be freely tradable, without restriction, in the public market. If these shares are sold, the trading price of our common stock could decline. We are unable to predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders, directors or officers or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our common stock.

Future sales of our equity could result in significant dilution to our existing shareholders and depress the market price of our common stock.

It is likely that we will need to seek additional capital in the future and from time to time. If this financing is obtained through the issuance of equity securities, debt convertible into equity securities, options or warrants to acquire equity securities or similar instruments or securities, our existing shareholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage upon the issuance, conversion or exercise of such securities and such dilution could be significant. For example, on December 4, 2020, we entered into an Amended and Restated Securities Purchase Agreement with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell in a private placement 3,200,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $2.071 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately $6.6 million (the “Private Placement”). The issuance and sale of the shares in the Private Placement will have a dilutive impact on our existing stockholders. Additionally, any new equity securities issued by us could have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of our common stock. Additionally, pursuant to our “at the market” equity offering

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program, we may sell shares of our common stock having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $25 million from time to time through Cowen and Company, LLC, as our agent. As of September 30, 2020, we had issued and sold 1,374,517 shares of our common stock pursuant to our “at the market” equity offering program, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $3.6 million. Shares of our common stock having a value of approximately $20.9 million remain available for sale under this program. The issuance and sale of additional shares of our common stock pursuant to our “at the market” equity offering program will have a dilutive impact on our existing stockholders. Further, the issuance and sale of, or the perception that we may issue and sell, additional shares of common stock pursuant to our “at the market” equity offering program or an additional private placement could have the effect of depressing the market price of our common stock or increasing the volatility thereof.

Any issuance by us or sales of our securities by our security holders, including by any of our affiliates, or the perception that such issuances or sales could occur, could negatively impact the market price of our securities. For example, a number of shareholders own significant blocks of our common stock. If one or more of these large shareholders were to sell large portions of their holdings in a relatively short time, for liquidity or other reasons, the prevailing market price of our common stock could be negatively affected. This could result in further potential dilution to our existing shareholders and the impairment of our ability to raise capital through the sale of equity, debt or other securities.

The interest of our current or potential significant shareholders may conflict with other shareholders and they may attempt to effect changes or acquire control, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our shareholders may from time to time engage in proxy solicitations, advance shareholder proposals, acquire control or otherwise attempt to effect changes, including by directly voting their shares on shareholder proposals. Campaigns by shareholders to effect changes at publicly traded companies are sometimes led by investors seeking to increase short-term shareholder value through actions such as financial restructuring, increased debt, special dividends, stock repurchases or sales of assets or the entire company. Responding to proxy contests and other actions by activist shareholders can be costly and time-consuming, disrupting our operations and diverting the attention of our Board of Directors and senior management from the pursuit of business strategies. Additionally, uncertainty over our direction and leadership may negatively impact our relationship with our customers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners. As a result, shareholder campaigns could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The continued uncertain global economic environment and volatility in global credit and financial markets could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The state of the global economy continues to be uncertain. As a result of these conditions, our manufacturers, vendors and customers might experience deterioration of their businesses, cash flow shortages and difficulty obtaining financing which could result in interruptions or delays in the performance of any contracts, reductions and delays in customer purchases, delays in or the inability of customers to obtain financing to purchase our products, and bankruptcy of customers. Furthermore, the constraints in the capital and credit markets may limit the ability of our customers to meet their liquidity needs, which could result in an impairment of their ability to make timely payments to us and reduce their demand for our products, adversely impacting our results of operations and cash flows. This environment has also made it difficult for us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities.

The anti-takeover provisions of Oregon law and in our articles of incorporation could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock, including by preventing a sale or takeover of us at a price or prices favorable to the holders of our common stock.

Provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws and provisions of Oregon law may have the effect of delaying or preventing a merger or acquisition of us, making a merger or acquisition of us less desirable to a potential acquirer or preventing a change in our management, even if our shareholders consider the merger, acquisition or change in management favorable or if doing so would benefit our shareholders. In addition, these provisions could limit the price that investors would be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. The following are examples of such provisions:

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• if the number of directors is fixed by the board at eight or more, then our board of directors will be divided into three classes serving staggered terms, which would make it more difficult for a group of shareholders to quickly replace a majority of directors;

• our board of directors is authorized, without prior shareholder approval, to create and issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to acquire us or to effect a change of control, commonly referred to as “blank check” preferred stock;

• members of our board of directors can be removed only for cause and at a meeting of shareholders called expressly for that purpose, by the vote of 75 percent of the votes then entitled to be cast for the election of directors;

• our board of directors may alter our bylaws without obtaining shareholder approval;

• shareholders are required to provide advance notice for nominations for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters to be acted upon at a shareholder meeting;

• Oregon law permits our board to consider other factors beyond shareholder value in evaluating any acquisition offer (so-called “expanded constituency” provisions); and

• a supermajority (67%) vote of shareholders is required to approve certain fundamental transactions.

Global health crises may adversely affect our financial condition.

Our business, the businesses of our customers, and the businesses of our suppliers could be materially and adversely affected by the risks, or the public perception of the risks, related to a pandemic or other health crisis, such as the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. A significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could materially and adversely affect demand for our products and our operating results. Such events could result in the interruption of our distribution system, temporary or long-term disruption in our supply chains from our suppliers, or delays in the delivery of our product. If the impact of an outbreak continues for an extended period, it could materially adversely impact our supply chain and the growth of our revenues.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future periods, future events or our future operating or financial plans or performance. All statements other than statements of fact, including statements identified by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the following:

• the anticipated features, benefits and applications of our technologies and products;

• market trends and changes, including in the video consumption, mobile, video, and digital projection markets;

• our strategy, including our products, technology, research and development, sales and marketing and acquisition and other growth opportunities;

• our expectations with respect to our restructuring plans;

• the sufficiency of our working capital and need for, or ability to secure, additional financing;

• the success of our products in expanded markets;

• customer and distributor concentration;

• global economic challenges and global health crises;

• competition, including our ability to compete and our belief as to our competitive advantages;

• levels of inventory at distributors and customers;

• changes in customer ordering patterns or lead times and seasonality;

• backlog;

• future contractual obligations;

• our ability to manage our expenditures and estimate future expenses, revenue, and operational requirements;

• the effect of changes to management judgments and estimates;

• our beliefs regarding our international operations;

• our ability to take adequate precautions against claims or lawsuits made by third parties, including alleged infringement of proprietary rights;

• the potential impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;

• the Private Placement and our “at the market” equity offering program;

• the impact of accounting pronouncements and our critical accounting policies, judgments, estimates, models, and assumptions on our financial results; and

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• our expectations with respect to revenue, cost of revenue, expenses, and other financial metrics.

We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, strategy, short- and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial requirements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors which may cause actual results to vary materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to deliver new products in a timely fashion; our new product yield rates; changes in estimated product costs; product mix; restructuring charges; the growth of the markets we serve; supply of products from third-party foundries; failure or difficulty in achieving design wins; timely customer transition to new product designs; competitive factors, such as rival chip architectures, introduction or traction by competing designs, or pricing pressures; litigation related to our intellectual property rights; our limited financial resources; economic and political challenges due to operations in Asia; exchange rate fluctuations; failure to retain or attract qualified employees; the sufficiency of our intellectual property and patent portfolio; fluctuations in foreign currencies; natural disasters; the need for additional income tax valuation allowances; limitations on net operating losses; and other risks described herein or in the accompanying prospectus or documents incorporated by reference herein or therein. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We discuss in greater detail, and incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, many of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions under the heading “Risk Factors.” Additional cautionary statements or discussions of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could affect our results or the achievement of the expectations described in forward-looking statements are also contained in the documents we incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, or any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus speaks only as of the date on which it was made. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. You should, however, review additional disclosures we make in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC.

You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents that we incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus completely and with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity and performance as well as other events and circumstances may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $                 million (or approximately $                 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).

We currently intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, assets, or technologies, although we have no present commitments or agreements to do so. Accordingly, we will retain broad discretion over the use of these proceeds. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.

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DILUTION

If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020, into our total tangible assets less total liabilities.

Our historical net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020, was approximately $17.6 million, or $0.42 per share, based on 41,537,358 shares of our common stock outstanding as of that date.

After giving effect to the sale of                  shares of common stock by us, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020, would have been $                 million, or $                 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $                 per share to existing shareholders and immediate dilution of $                 per share to investors in this offering, as illustrated by the following table:

Public offering price per share			$
Net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2020	$	0.42
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to investors participating in this offering	$
As adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering			$
Dilution per share to investors in this offering			$

If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase                  additional shares from us, the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $                 per share, the increase in net tangible book value per share to existing shareholders would be $                 per share and the dilution to new investors purchasing shares in this offering would be $                 per share.

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 41,537,358 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2020, which excludes:

• 457,225 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of September 30, 2020, with a weighted-average exercise price of $2.71 per share;

• 2,907,033 unvested RSUs as of September 30, 2020;

• 2,600,177 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2006 Plan;

• 1,925,280 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our ESPP; and

• 3,200,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to that certain Amended and Restated Securities Purchase Agreement dated December 4, 2020 between Pixelworks and the investors named therein.

To the extent any options are exercised or restricted stock units vest, new options, restricted stock awards or restricted stock units are issued under our equity incentive plans, shares are purchased pursuant to our ESPP, or we otherwise issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to new investors.

In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our shareholders.

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS

The following is a general discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to non-U.S. holders (as defined herein) with respect to their ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering. This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income tax considerations relating thereto. This discussion also does not address the tax considerations arising under the laws of any non-U.S., state, or local jurisdiction, nor under U.S. federal gift and estate tax laws, except to the limited extent provided below. In general, a non-U.S. holder means a beneficial owner of our common stock (other than a partnership or an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

• an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

• a corporation, or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

• an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

• a trust if (1) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of the trust’s substantial decisions or (2) the trust has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

This discussion is based on current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, published administrative pronouncements and rulings of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus supplement. These authorities are subject to change and to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to non-U.S. holders described in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

We assume in this discussion that a non-U.S. holder holds shares of our common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular non-U.S. holder in light of that non-U.S. holder’s individual circumstances, nor does it address any estate or gift tax consequences, except to the limited extent provided below, or any aspects of U.S. state, local or non-U.S. taxes. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a non-U.S. holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular non-U.S. holders, such as holders that own, or are deemed to own, more than 5% of our capital stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below), corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, tax-exempt organizations, banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, brokers, dealers or traders in securities, commodities or currencies, tax-qualified retirement plans, accrual method taxpayers subject to special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code, holders subject to the alternative minimum tax or the Medicare contribution tax, holders who hold or receive our common stock pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation, holders holding our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy, conversion transaction or other integrated investment, holders deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code, controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies and certain former U.S. citizens or long-term residents.

In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships (or entities or arrangements that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or persons that hold their common stock through such partnerships. If a partnership, including any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds shares of our common stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Such partners and partnerships should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common stock.

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There can be no assurance that a court or the IRS will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described herein, and we have not obtained, nor do we intend to obtain, an IRS ruling with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a non-U.S. holder of the purchase, ownership or disposition of our common stock.

Distributions on Our Common Stock

Distributions, if any, on our common stock generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder’s investment, up to such holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such common stock, subject to the tax treatment described below in “Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Our Common Stock.” Any such distribution will also be subject to the discussion below under the heading “FATCA Withholding.”

Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder will generally be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence.

Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States, are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, such U.S. effectively connected income, net of specified deductions and credits, is taxed at the same graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to U.S. persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence.

To claim a reduction or exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. holder of our common stock generally will be required to provide (a) a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements to claim the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence or (b) a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI stating that dividends are not subject to withholding because they are effectively connected with such non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.

A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

Gain on Sale, Exchange, or Other Disposition of Our Common Stock

Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding, in general, a non-U.S. holder will not be subject to any U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon such holder’s sale, exchange or other disposition of shares of our common stock unless:

• the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. holder and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, is attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained in the United States by such non-U.S. holder, in which case the non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed at the graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to U.S. persons (as defined in the Code) (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) and, if the non-U.S. holder is a foreign corporation, the branch profits tax described above in “Distributions on Our Common Stock” also may apply;

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• the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other conditions are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the net gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by U.S. source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder, if any (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States); or

• our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest because we are, or have been, at any time during the five-year period preceding such disposition (or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period, if shorter) a “United States real property holding corporation.” Generally, a corporation is a United States real property holding corporation only if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Although there can be no assurance, we do not believe that we are, or have been, a United States real property holding corporation, or that we are likely to become one in the future. Even if we are or become a United States real property holding corporation, provided that our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, within the meaning of applicable Treasury Regulations, our common stock will be treated as a U.S. real property interest only with respect to a non-U.S. holder that holds more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, directly or indirectly, actually or constructively, during the shorter of the 5-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the non-U.S. holder held our common stock. In such case, such non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition at the graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to U.S. persons (as defined in the Code). No assurance can be provided that our common stock will continue to be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rules described above.

U.S. Federal Estate Tax

The estates of nonresident alien individuals generally are subject to U.S. federal estate tax on property with a U.S. situs. Because we are a U.S. corporation, our common stock will be U.S. situs property and therefore will be included in the taxable estate of a nonresident alien decedent, unless an applicable estate tax treaty between the United States and the decedent’s country of residence provides otherwise. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of our common stock.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the gross amount of distributions on our common stock paid to such holder, whether or not such distribution is a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. holders will have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate with respect to dividends on our common stock. A non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. backup withholding with respect to payments of dividends on our common stock if it certifies its non-U.S. status by providing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an exemption; provided we do not have actual knowledge or reason to know such non-U.S. holder is a U.S. person, as defined in the Code. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders subject to the U.S. withholding tax, as described above in “Distributions on Our Common Stock,” generally will be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.

Information reporting and backup withholding will generally apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, information reporting but not backup withholding will apply in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker, if a non-U.S. holder sells our common stock through a non-U.S. office of a broker that is:

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• a U.S. person (including a foreign branch or office of such person),

• a “controlled foreign corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes,

• a foreign person 50% or more of whose gross income from certain periods is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, or

• a foreign partnership if at any time during its tax year (a) one or more of its partners are U.S. persons who, in the aggregate, hold more than 50% of the income or capital interests of the partnership or (b) the foreign partnership is engaged in a U.S. trade or business.

Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.

Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder may be allowed as a credit against the non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

FATCA Withholding

The Code, U.S. Treasury Regulations and other applicable guidance, commonly referred to as “FATCA,” generally impose a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on stock in a U.S. corporation paid to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined for this purpose), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to, among other things, withhold on certain payments and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners) or otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules and (ii) a non-financial foreign entity (as defined in the Code), unless such entity provides the withholding agent with either a certification that it does not have any substantial direct or indirect U.S. owners or provides information regarding substantial direct and indirect U.S. owners of the entity, or otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. Treasury regulations proposed in December 2018 (and upon which taxpayers and withholding agents are entitled to rely) eliminate possible FATCA withholding on the gross proceeds from any sale or other disposition of shares of stock of a U.S. corporation, previously scheduled to apply beginning January 1, 2019. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this paragraph.

EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.

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UNDERWRITING

We have entered into an underwriting agreement, dated                     , 2020, with the several underwriters listed in the table below. Roth Capital Partners, LLC is the representative of the underwriters. We refer to the several underwriters listed in the table below as the “underwriters.” Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PXLW.”

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters named below, and each underwriter severally has agreed to purchase from us, the respective number of shares of common stock set forth opposite its name below:

Underwriter	Number of Shares
Roth Capital Partners, LLC
Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC
Total

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligation of the underwriters to purchase the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is subject to certain conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the shares of common stock offered hereby if any of the shares are purchased.

We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to an additional                  shares of common stock from us at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount and commissions, to cover over-allotments, if any. The underwriters may exercise this option at any time, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, during the 30-day period after the date of this prospectus supplement.

Discount, Commissions and Expenses

The underwriters propose to offer the shares of common stock purchased pursuant to the underwriting agreement to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and to certain dealers at that price less a concession not in excess of $         per share. After this offering, the public offering price and concession may be changed by the underwriters. No such change shall change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement.

In connection with the sale of the common stock to be purchased by the underwriters, the underwriters will be deemed to have received compensation in the form of an underwriting discount and commissions. The underwriting discount will be 6.0% of the gross proceeds of this offering, or $         per share of common stock, based on the public offering price per share set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement.

We have also agreed to reimburse the representative at closing for expenses incurred by it in connection with the offering, including fees and disbursements of underwriters’ counsel, up to a maximum of $50,000. We estimate that our total offering expenses for this offering, net of the underwriting discount and commissions, will be approximately $        .

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The following table shows the underwriting discount and commissions payable to the underwriters by us in connection with this offering (assuming both the exercise in full and non-exercise of the over-allotment option to purchase additional shares of common stock that we have granted to the underwriters):

	Per Share		Total
	Without Over-allotment	With Over-allotment	Without Over-allotment	With Over-allotment
Public offering price	$	$	$	$
Underwriting discount and commissions paid by us	$	$	$	$

Indemnification

Pursuant to the underwriting agreement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments that the underwriters or other indemnified parties may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

Lock-Up Agreements

Pursuant to certain “lock-up” agreements, we and our executive officers and directors, have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to, directly or indirectly, sell, offer to sell, contract to sell, or grant any option for the sale (including without limitation any short sale), grant any security interest in, pledge, hypothecate, hedge, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) of the Exchange Act or otherwise dispose of or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition of any common stock or securities convertible into, exchangeable, or exercisable for common stock without the prior written consent of Roth Capital Partners, LLC for a period of 90 days after the date of underwriting agreement.

This lock-up provision applies to common stock and to securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock. It also applies to common stock owned now or acquired later by the person executing the agreement or for which the person executing the agreement later acquires the power of disposition. The exceptions permit us, among other things and subject to restrictions, to: (a) issue common stock upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants and the vesting of restricted stock awards or units, (b) issue employee stock options and the grant, redemption or forfeiture of restricted stock awards or restricted stock units, (c) issue common stock pursuant to an employee stock purchase plan and (d) sell and issue common stock pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement. The exceptions permit parties to the lock-up agreements, among other things and subject to restrictions, to: (a) make certain gifts, (b) make certain familial transfers, (c) transfer securities to the Company or as may be required under any benefit plan, (d) make dispositions of common stock pursuant to a pre-existing contract or plan complying with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act, (e) transfer common stock to satisfy tax obligations associated with equity awards under our equity incentive plans, (f) make transfers through the operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement, (g) purchase shares of common stock on the open market or under an employee stock purchase plan, (h) exercise any convertible securities ranted under a benefit plan and (i) establish a trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act.

Roth Capital Partners, LLC, in its sole discretion, may release our common stock and other securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time. When determining whether to release our common stock and other securities from lock-up agreements, the representatives will consider, among other factors, the holder’s reasons for requesting the release, the number of shares for which the release is being requested and market conditions at the time of the request.

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Electronic Distribution

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be made available in electronic format on websites or through other online services maintained by the underwriters or by their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and prospective investors may be allowed to place orders online. Other than this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ websites or our website and any information contained in any other websites maintained by the underwriters or by us is not part of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters in their capacity as underwriters, and should not be relied upon by investors.

Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act:

• Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

• Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriters of shares in excess of the number of shares the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of shares over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of shares that they may purchase pursuant to the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of shares involved is greater than the number of shares that the underwriters may purchase pursuant to the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising the over-allotment option and/or purchasing shares in the open market.

• Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the common stock in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of shares to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. A naked short position occurs if the underwriters sell more shares than could be covered by the over-allotment option. This position can only be closed out by buying shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

• Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the common stock originally sold by the syndicate member is purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.

These over-allotment transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time without notice.

Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our shares of common stock. In addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these transactions or that any transaction, if commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

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Other Relationships

Certain of the underwriters (including the representative) and their respective affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates for which they have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions. Except as disclosed in this prospectus supplement, we have no present arrangements with the underwriters for any services.

Offer restrictions outside the United States

Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus supplement may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.

Australia

This prospectus is not a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and does not purport to include the information required of a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act. Accordingly, (i) the offer of the securities under this prospectus is only made to persons to whom it is lawful to offer the securities without disclosure under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act under one or more exemptions set out in section 708 of the Australian Corporations Act, (ii) this prospectus is made available in Australia only to those persons as set forth in clause (i) above, and (iii) the offeree must be sent a notice stating in substance that by accepting this offer, the offeree represents that the offeree is such a person as set forth in clause (i) above, and, unless permitted under the Australian Corporations Act, agrees not to sell or offer for sale within Australia any of the securities sold to the offeree within 12 months after its transfer to the offeree under this prospectus.

Canada

The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws. Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor. Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriter is not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

China

The information in this document does not constitute a public offer of the securities, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the People’s Republic of China (excluding, for purposes of this paragraph, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan). The securities may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in the PRC to legal or natural persons other than directly to “qualified domestic institutional investors.”

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European Economic Area — Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Netherlands

The information in this document has been prepared on the basis that all offers of securities will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Directive 2003/71/EC (“Prospectus Directive”), as implemented in Member States of the European Economic Area (each, a “Relevant Member State”), from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities.

An offer to the public of securities has not been made, and may not be made, in a Relevant Member State except pursuant to one of the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive as implemented in that Relevant Member State:

• to legal entities that are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;

• to any legal entity that has two or more of (i) an average of at least 250 employees during its last fiscal year; (ii) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 (as shown on its last annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements) and (iii) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000 (as shown on its last annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements);

• to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining our prior consent or any underwriter for any such offer; or

• in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of securities shall require us to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

France

This document is not being distributed in the context of a public offering of financial securities (offre au public de titres financiers) in France within the meaning of Article L.411-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code monétaire et financier) and Articles 211-1 et seq. of the General Regulation of the French Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”). The securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.

This document and any other offering material relating to the securities have not been, and will not be, submitted to the AMF for approval in France and, accordingly, may not be distributed or caused to distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.

Such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to (i) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) acting for their own account, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-2 and D.411-1 to D.411-3, D. 744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and any implementing regulation and/or (ii) a restricted number of non-qualified investors (cercle restreint d’investisseurs) acting for their own account, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-2° and D.411-4, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and any implementing regulation.

Pursuant to Article 211-3 of the General Regulation of the AMF, investors in France are informed that the securities cannot be distributed (directly or indirectly) to the public by the investors otherwise than in accordance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 to L.621-8-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

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Ireland

The information in this document does not constitute a prospectus under any Irish laws or regulations and this document has not been filed with or approved by any Irish regulatory authority as the information has not been prepared in the context of a public offering of securities in Ireland within the meaning of the Irish Prospectus (Directive 2003/71/EC) Regulations 2005 (the “Prospectus Regulations”). The securities have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered, sold or delivered directly or indirectly in Ireland by way of a public offering, except to (i) qualified investors as defined in Regulation 2(l) of the Prospectus Regulations and (ii) fewer than 100 natural or legal persons who are not qualified investors.

Israel

The securities offered by this prospectus have not been approved or disapproved by the Israeli Securities Authority (the ISA), or ISA, nor have such securities been registered for sale in Israel. The shares may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in Israel, absent the publication of a prospectus. The ISA has not issued permits, approvals or licenses in connection with this offering or publishing the prospectus; nor has it authenticated the details included herein, confirmed their reliability or completeness, or rendered an opinion as to the quality of the securities being offered. Any resale in Israel, directly or indirectly, to the public of the securities offered by this prospectus is subject to restrictions on transferability and must be effected only in compliance with the Israeli securities laws and regulations.

Italy

The offering of the securities in the Republic of Italy has not been authorized by the Italian Securities and Exchange Commission (Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa, “CONSOB” pursuant to the Italian securities legislation and, accordingly, no offering material relating to the securities may be distributed in Italy and such securities may not be offered or sold in Italy in a public offer within the meaning of Article 1.1(t) of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998 (“Decree No. 58”), other than:

• to Italian qualified investors, as defined in Article 100 of Decree no. 58 by reference to Article 34-ter of CONSOB Regulation no. 11971 of 14 May 1999 (“Regulation no. 1197l”) as amended (“Qualified Investors”); and

• in other circumstances that are exempt from the rules on public offer pursuant to Article 100 of Decree No. 58 and Article 34-ter of Regulation No. 11971 as amended.

Any offer, sale or delivery of the securities or distribution of any offer document relating to the securities in Italy (excluding placements where a Qualified Investor solicits an offer from the issuer) under the paragraphs above must be:

• made by investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993 (as amended), Decree No. 58, CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007 and any other applicable laws; and

• in compliance with all relevant Italian securities, tax and exchange controls and any other applicable laws.

Any subsequent distribution of the securities in Italy must be made in compliance with the public offer and prospectus requirement rules provided under Decree No. 58 and the Regulation No. 11971 as amended, unless an exception from those rules applies. Failure to comply with such rules may result in the sale of such securities being declared null and void and in the liability of the entity transferring the securities for any damages suffered by the investors.

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Japan

The securities have not been and will not be registered under Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948), as amended (the “FIEL”) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements applicable to a private placement of securities to Qualified Institutional Investors (as defined in and in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 3 of the FIEL and the regulations promulgated thereunder). Accordingly, the securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan other than Qualified Institutional Investors. Any Qualified Institutional Investor who acquires securities may not resell them to any person in Japan that is not a Qualified Institutional Investor, and acquisition by any such person of securities is conditional upon the execution of an agreement to that effect.

New Zealand

The shares of common stock offered hereby have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly in New Zealand and no offering materials or advertisements have been or will be distributed in relation to any offer of shares in New Zealand, in each case other than:

• to persons whose principal business is the investment of money or who, in the course of and for the purposes of their business, habitually invest money;

• to persons who in all the circumstances can properly be regarded as having been selected otherwise than as members of the public;

• to persons who are each required to pay a minimum subscription price of at least NZ$500,000 for the shares before the allotment of those shares (disregarding any amounts payable, or paid, out of money lent by the issuer or any associated person of the issuer); or

• in other circumstances where there is no contravention of the Securities Act 1978 of New Zealand (or any statutory modification or reenactment of, or statutory substitution for, the Securities Act 1978 of New Zealand).

Portugal

This document is not being distributed in the context of a public offer of financial securities (oferta pública de valores mobiliários) in Portugal, within the meaning of Article 109 of the Portuguese Securities Code (Código dos Valores Mobiliários). The securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in Portugal. This document and any other offering material relating to the securities have not been, and will not be, submitted to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (Comissăo do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários) for approval in Portugal and, accordingly, may not be distributed or caused to distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public in Portugal, other than under circumstances that are deemed not to qualify as a public offer under the Portuguese Securities Code. Such offers, sales and distributions of securities in Portugal are limited to persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Portuguese Securities Code). Only such investors may receive this document and they may not distribute it or the information contained in it to any other person.

Sweden

This document has not been, and will not be, registered with or approved by Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority). Accordingly, this document may not be made available, nor may the securities be offered for sale in Sweden, other than under circumstances that are deemed not to require a prospectus under the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act (1991:980) (Sw. lag (1991:980) om handel med finansiella instrument). Any offering of securities in Sweden is limited to persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Financial Instruments Trading Act). Only such investors may receive this document and they may not distribute it or the information contained in it to any other person.

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Switzerland

The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering material relating to the securities may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither this document nor any other offering material relating to the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

This document is personal to the recipient only and not for general circulation in Switzerland.

United Arab Emirates

Neither this document nor the securities have been approved, disapproved or passed on in any way by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates or any other governmental authority in the United Arab Emirates, nor have we received authorization or licensing from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates or any other governmental authority in the United Arab Emirates to market or sell the securities within the United Arab Emirates. This document does not constitute and may not be used for the purpose of an offer or invitation. We may not render services relating to the securities within the United Arab Emirates, including the receipt of applications and/or the allotment or redemption of such shares.

No offer or invitation to subscribe for securities is valid or permitted in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

United Kingdom

Neither the information in this document nor any other document relating to the offer has been delivered for approval to the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom and no prospectus (within the meaning of section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (“FSMA”)) has been published or is intended to be published in respect of the securities. This document is issued on a confidential basis to “qualified investors” (within the meaning of section 86(7) of FSMA) in the United Kingdom, and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United Kingdom by means of this document, any accompanying letter or any other document, except in circumstances which do not require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to section 86(1) FSMA. This document should not be distributed, published or reproduced, in whole or in part, nor may its contents be disclosed by recipients to any other person in the United Kingdom.

Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) received in connection with the issue or sale of the securities has only been communicated or caused to be communicated and will only be communicated or caused to be communicated in the United Kingdom in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply us.

In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed at, persons (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) (investment professionals) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005 (“FPO”), (ii) who fall within the categories of persons referred to in Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the FPO or (iii) to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (together “relevant persons”). The investments to which this document relates are available only to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock being offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Tonkon Torp LLP, Portland, Oregon. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Pixelworks, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, 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. The audit report covering the December 31, 2019 financial statements refers to a change in the method of accounting for leases and a change in the method of accounting for revenue.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of the registration statement, but the registration statement includes and incorporates by reference additional information and exhibits. This prospectus supplement does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules, portions of which have been omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about us, we refer you to the registration statement and to its exhibits and schedules. Certain information in the registration statement has been omitted from this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in accordance with the rules of the SEC. We file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC 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 site is http://www.sec.gov. You may also access the documents we file with the SEC on our website at www. pixelworks.com. The information on the SEC’s website and on our website are not part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, and any references to these websites or any other website are inactive textual references only.

INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

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 supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Information that is incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and you should read it with the same care that you read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying 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 supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and will be considered to be a part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus from the date those documents are filed. We have filed with the SEC, and incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus:

• our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019;

• our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020, filed on May  8, 2020, August  10, 2020, and November 6, 2020, respectively;

• our Current Reports on Form  8-K filed with the SEC on January  7, 2020, March  20, 2020, April  30, 2020, May  18, 2020, June  5, 2020, August  10, 2020, October  22, 2020 and December 9, 2020; and

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• the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on April 10, 2000, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are made after the initial filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is a part and the effectiveness of the registration statement, as well as between the date of this prospectus supplement and the termination of any offering of securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying 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.

Upon request, we will provide, without charge, to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered herewith. You may request a copy of these filings, any exhibits we have specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus, at no cost by writing us at the following address: 226 Airport Parkway, Suite 595, San Jose, California 95110, or telephoning us at (408) 200-9200. You may also access these documents, free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.pixelworks.com. Information contained on our website and on the SEC’s website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed from, our website or the SEC’s website as part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

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PROSPECTUS

$50,000,000

Common Stock

This prospectus relates to shares of Pixelworks, Inc. common stock which may be offered and sold from time to time. The aggregate initial offering price of all common stock sold under this prospectus will not exceed $50,000,000. The common stock of Pixelworks, Inc. is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PXLW.” On November 5, 2020, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market was $2.00 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.

The shares of our common stock may be offered directly by us, through agents designated from time to time by us or to or through underwriters or dealers. If any agents, dealers or underwriters are involved in the sale of any shares of our common stock, their names, and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the section entitled “About This Prospectus” for more information.

Investing in shares of our common stock involves risks. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” on page 2 of this prospectus, in documents we incorporate by reference into this prospectus and included in or incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus supplement.

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 November 16, 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS	1
RISK FACTORS	2
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	2
THE COMPANY	3
USE OF PROCEEDS	4
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK	4
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	6
EXPERTS	7
LEGAL MATTERS	7
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION	7

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, 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.

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 such documents or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of such 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 registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and sell the shares of our common stock 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 $50,000,000.

This 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:

• the number of shares of common stock that we propose to sell;

• the public offering price per share of the common stock;

• the names of any underwriters, agents or dealers through or to which the shares of the common stock will be sold;

• any compensation of those underwriters, agents or dealers;

• any additional risk factors applicable to the shares of our common stock or our business and operations; and

• any other material information about the offering and sale of the shares of common stock.

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,” “TrueCut” and the Pixelworks logo are our trademarks. This prospectus and the documents 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 display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply relationships with, or endorsements or sponsorship of us by, these other 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. Our principal executive offices are located at 226 Airport Parkway, Suite 595, San Jose, California 95110 and our telephone number is (408) 200-9200. Our website address is https://www.pixelworks.com. We do not incorporate the information on, or accessible through, our website into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or accessible through, our website as part of this prospectus.

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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 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 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.”

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-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. 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 our 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: competitive factors, such as rival chip architectures, introduction or traction by competing designs, or pricing pressures; the success of our products in expanded markets; current global economic challenges; changes in the digital display, projection, and smartphone markets; seasonality in the consumer electronics market; our efforts to achieve profitability from operations; our limited financial resources; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and on our suppliers and customers. You should, however, review additional disclosures we make in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the 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 is a leading provider of high-performance and power-efficient visual processing solutions that bridge the gap between video content formats and rapidly advancing display capabilities. We develop and market semiconductor and software solutions that enable consistently high-quality, authentic viewing experiences in a wide variety of applications from cinema to smartphones. Our primary target markets include Mobile (smartphone, gaming and tablet), Home Entertainment (TV, personal video recorder, or PVR, over-the-air, or OTA, and projector), Content (creation, remastering and delivery), and Business & Education (projector).

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. Our Topaz product line was one of the industry’s first single-chip SoC for digital projection. We introduced many of our visual processing technologies optimized for use in a smartphone in our I-Series visual processors, and further introduced our motion estimation / motion compensation technology, or MEMC, in our mobile-optimized X-series visual processors. In 2019, we introduced our Hollywood award-winning TrueCut^® video platform, which includes the industry’s first motion grading technology that allows fine tuning of motion appearance in cinematic content for a wide range of frame rates, shutter angles and display types.

Our solutions enable 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. Our video coding technology reduces storage requirements, significantly reduces bandwidth constraint issues and converts content between multiple formats to enable seamless delivery of video, including OTA streaming, while also maintaining end-to-end content security.

Rapid growth in video consumption, combined with the move towards high frame rate / refresh rate displays, especially in mobile, is increasing the demand for our visual processing and video delivery solutions. Our technologies can be applied to a wide range of devices from large-screen projectors to cinematic big screens, to low-power mobile tablets, smartphones, high-quality video infrastructure equipment and streaming devices. Our products are architected and optimized for power, cost, bandwidth, and overall system performance, according to the requirements of the specific application. On occasion, we have also licensed our technology.

Pixelworks was founded in 1997 and is incorporated under the laws of the state of Oregon. Our executive offices are located at 226 Airport Parkway, Suite 595, San Jose, California 95110, our telephone number is (408) 200-9200 and our website is www.pixelworks.com. We do not incorporate the information on, or accessible through, our website into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or accessible through, our website as part of this prospectus.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as may be stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds we receive from the sale 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, such as the continued development of solutions for the advanced digital projection market and video transcoding solutions for the OTA market, as well as the enhancement of our video processing solutions for mobile markets. Pending the application of the net proceeds, we may invest the proceeds in marketable securities and short-term investments.

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 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 November 5, 2020, there were 42,036,203 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, 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 Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PXLW.”

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

Preferred Stock

As of November 5, 2020, 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:

• the distinctive designation of each series and the number of shares that will constitute the series;

• the voting rights, if any, of shares of the series and the terms and conditions of the voting rights;

• the dividend rate on the shares of the series, the dates on which dividends are payable, any restriction, limitation or condition upon the payment of dividends, whether dividends will be cumulative, and the dates from and after which dividends shall accumulate;

• the prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be redeemed, if the shares are redeemable;

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• the terms and conditions of a sinking or purchase fund for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series, if such a fund is provided;

• any preferential amount payable upon shares of the series in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or upon the distribution of any of our assets; and

• the prices or rates of conversion or exchange at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be converted or exchanged into other securities, if the shares are convertible or exchangeable.

The issuance of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock or adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company, which could depress the market price of our common stock.

Anti-takeover Effects of Oregon Law and Our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws

Provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated bylaws and provisions of Oregon law may have the effect of delaying or preventing a merger or acquisition of us, making a merger or acquisition of us less desirable to a potential acquirer or preventing a change in our management, even if our shareholders consider the merger, acquisition or change in management favorable or if doing so would benefit our shareholders. In addition, these provisions could limit the price that investors would be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. The following are examples of such provisions:

• our board of directors is authorized, without prior shareholder approval, to change the size of the board of directors (our amended and restated articles of incorporation, as amended, provide that if the board of directors is fixed at seven members or less, the directors shall hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and if the board of directors is fixed at eight or more members, the board of directors will be divided into three classes serving staggered terms, which would make it more difficult for a group of shareholders to quickly change the composition of our board of directors and this provision may not be amended or repealed unless approved by the holders of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the votes then entitled to be cast for the election of directors);

• our board of directors may approve the issuance, without further action by the shareholders, of shares of our preferred stock, and to fix the rights and preferences thereof. The issuance of shares of preferred stock pursuant to our board of directors’ authority described above could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of our common stock and adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of such holders and may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control;

• members of our board of directors can only be removed for cause and at a meeting of the shareholders called expressly for that purpose, by the vote of seventy-five percent (75%) of the votes then entitled to be cast for the election of directors. Cause for removal shall be deemed to exist only if the director whose removal is proposed has engaged in criminal conduct or has engaged in fraudulent or dishonest conduct or gross abuse of authority or discretion with respect to Pixelworks;

• our board of directors may alter our amended and restated bylaws without obtaining shareholder approval, and our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to all shareholder proposals to be brought before meetings of Pixelworks shareholders. These procedures provide that notice of such stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to the Pixelworks Secretary prior to the meeting. The notice must contain certain information specified in our amended and restated bylaws;

• no shareholder is permitted to cumulate votes at any election of directors;

• Oregon law permits our board of directors to consider other factors beyond shareholder value in evaluating any acquisition offer (so-called “expanded constituency” provisions); and

• a super-majority vote by sixty-seven (67%) of our shareholders is required to approve (i) any agreements of merger or consolidation which require shareholder approval under the Oregon Business Corporation Act, (ii) any sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of Pixelworks’ property and assets and (iii) and dissolution or liquidation of the corporation.

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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 accompanying prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering and the method of distribution and will identify any firms acting as underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering, including:

• the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

• the purchase price of the shares and the proceeds to us from the sale;

• any underwriting discounts and other items constituting compensation to underwriters, dealers or agents;

• any public offering price;

• any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers from us, from the purchasers of the shares of common stock or from both us and the purchasers; and

• any securities exchange or market on which the shares offered in the prospectus supplement may be listed.

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

The distribution of the shares of common stock may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at prices determined as the applicable prospectus supplement specifies, including at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices. The shares of common stock may be sold through a rights offering, forward contracts or similar 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 Securities Act, including sales made directly on the Nasdaq Global Market or sales made to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange, or otherwise, in negotiated transactions, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices, and/or any other method permitted by law. In connection with the sale of the shares, underwriters, dealers or agents may be deemed to have received compensation from us in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and also may receive commissions from securities purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell the shares to or through dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. Some of the underwriters, dealers or agents who participate in the share distribution may engage in other transactions with, and 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 compensation that we pay to underwriters or agents in connection with the securities offering, and any discounts, concessions or commissions which underwriters allow to dealers. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the securities distribution may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts and commissions they receive and any profit they realize on the resale of the shares may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933. Underwriters and their controlling persons, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification against and contribution toward specific civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

To comply with the securities 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 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.

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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 any such person. Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person 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 national securities exchange. Certain persons participating in the offering may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M. In addition, in connection with an offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of our common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in an offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock while an offering is in progress. The underwriters also may impose a penalty 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 underwriter 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 exist in the open market. If 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, 2019 and 2018, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, 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. The reports of KPMG LLP refer to a change in the method of accounting for leases and a change in the method of accounting for revenue.

LEGAL MATTERS

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

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. 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. The SEC 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:

• our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019;

• our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June  30, 2020 and September 30, 2020;

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• our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January  7, 2020, March  20, 2020, April  30, 2020, May  18, 2020, June 5, 2020, August  10, 2020 (to the extent filed under Item 2.05) and October 22, 2020; and

• the description of our common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on April 10, 2000, and any other amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

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.

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:

Corporate Secretary

Pixelworks, Inc.

226 Airport Parkway, Suite 595

San Jose, CA 95110

(408) 200-9200

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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                Shares

Common Stock

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

Joint Book-Running Managers

Roth Capital Partners Craig-Hallum Capital Group

                    , 2020