diff --git a/pyqtgraph/opengl/GLViewWidget.py b/pyqtgraph/opengl/GLViewWidget.py
index 1a70d735..f123b151 100644
--- a/pyqtgraph/opengl/GLViewWidget.py
+++ b/pyqtgraph/opengl/GLViewWidget.py
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ class GLViewWidget(QtOpenGL.QGLWidget):
     def checkOpenGLVersion(self, msg):
         ## Only to be called from within exception handler.
         ver = glGetString(GL_VERSION).split()[0]
-        if int(ver.split('.')[0]) < 2:
+        if int(ver.split(b'.')[0]) < 2:
             from .. import debug
             debug.printExc()
             raise Exception(msg + " The original exception is printed above; however, pyqtgraph requires OpenGL version 2.0 or greater for many of its 3D features and your OpenGL version is %s. Installing updated display drivers may resolve this issue." % ver)