Qualcomm is significantly boosting the gaming capabilities of its Snapdragon chips for Windows devices. Recent updates introduce a dedicated control panel, improved driver support, enhanced anti-cheat compatibility, and crucial emulation advancements, aiming to make Windows on Arm a more viable platform for gamers.
Key Takeaways
- A new Snapdragon Control Panel offers game-specific settings and driver updates.
- Expanded anti-cheat support includes popular solutions like BattleEye and Denuvo.
- AVX2 emulation is being rolled out, improving compatibility with more games.
- Microsoft is making its Full Screen Experience more widely available for handheld gaming devices.
Snapdragon Control Panel Arrives
Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon Control Panel, a dedicated application designed to streamline the gaming experience on Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops. Similar to Nvidia’s GeForce Experience and AMD’s Adrenalin software, this panel allows users to manage graphics settings on a per-game basis, including options for upscaling, frame rate capping, and anti-aliasing. It also serves as a hub for downloading the latest Adreno GPU drivers, which Qualcomm states have been optimized for over 100 games, offering bug fixes and performance improvements.
Enhanced Compatibility and Anti-Cheat
A significant hurdle for Windows on Arm gaming has been compatibility with x86 applications and anti-cheat software. Qualcomm is addressing this with the rollout of AVX2 emulation. While newer Snapdragon X2 Elite chips support it natively, existing Snapdragon X series devices will receive the update in the coming weeks. This will enable a wider range of games and applications that rely on AVX2 instructions to run more smoothly. Furthermore, Qualcomm has expanded its anti-cheat support to include major solutions like Tencent’s Anti-Cheat Expert, Roblox’s Hyperion, Denuvo, InProtect GameGuard, BattleEye, and Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat, paving the way for more multiplayer titles to function correctly.
Streamlining the Handheld Gaming Experience
In parallel, Microsoft is enhancing the gaming experience on Windows handheld devices. The "Full Screen Experience" (FSE), previously exclusive to devices like the Asus ROG Ally, is now being made available to all current Windows gaming handhelds. This feature provides a more console-like interface, consolidating games from various storefronts into a single, streamlined view, and potentially reducing system resource usage compared to the standard Windows desktop.
Sources
- Qualcomm refines Windows on Arm gaming with broad feature release — platform gets Snapdragon Control Panel,
AVX2 emulation, improved anti-cheat support, Tom’s Hardware. - Qualcomm promises better gaming performance with latest Windows on Snapdragon update, Engadget.
- Windows on Arm is now ready for gaming thanks to some big changes, The Verge.
- Microsoft makes Full Screen Experience available to all Windows 11 gaming handhelds — highly requested
feature no longer exclusive to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, Tom’s Hardware.
