Qualcomm is significantly boosting the gaming capabilities of Windows on Arm devices with the release of its new Snapdragon Control Panel. This update, alongside improvements from Microsoft, aims to make gaming on Snapdragon X Elite laptops smoother and more compatible, addressing earlier criticisms about performance.
Key Takeaways
- A new Snapdragon Control Panel optimizes game performance and allows driver updates.
- Microsoft’s Prism emulator now supports crucial x86 Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX).
- Fortnite is now playable on Windows on Arm with anti-cheat support.
- The Xbox app on Windows on Arm can now download ARM64 compatible games.
Snapdragon Control Panel Enhances Gaming Experience
The newly released Snapdragon Control Panel acts much like similar utilities from AMD and Nvidia, automatically detecting installed games on Snapdragon X Elite laptops. It provides users with granular control over settings such as frame rate caps, anti-aliasing, and texture filtering, allowing for tailored optimization. The panel also facilitates the installation of the latest Adreno GPU drivers, which are specifically tuned for new game releases to enhance stability and performance. Qualcomm reports that over 100 games have already seen fixes and improvements since last year.
Microsoft’s Crucial Emulator and App Updates
Microsoft has also played a vital role in this gaming upgrade. The company’s Prism emulator has been updated to support x86 Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), a requirement for many modern games and creative applications. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X Elite chips support AVX2 emulation, and existing Snapdragon X series devices are slated to receive this update in the coming weeks. Furthermore, the Xbox app on Windows on Arm has been enhanced to allow the download of ARM64 compatible games, moving beyond its previous limitation to just Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Anti-Cheat Compatibility and Fortnite’s Arrival
A significant hurdle for multiplayer gaming on Windows on Arm has been anti-cheat software. Qualcomm has been actively working with anti-cheat providers, including Epic Games for Fortnite. The successful integration of kernel-level anti-cheat support for Fortnite means the popular title is now playable on Snapdragon X PCs. Qualcomm is also collaborating with other major anti-cheat providers like Tencent, Roblox, Denuvo, and BattleEye to broaden multiplayer game compatibility on the platform.
While these advancements represent a substantial leap forward, performance and compatibility are still evolving. Users can check a compatibility list to see how their favorite games perform on Windows on Arm, either natively, via emulation, or if they are not yet supported.
Sources
- Windows on Arm is now ready for gaming thanks to some big changes, The Verge.
- Gaming on Snapdragon Windows PCs is getting a Fortnite-sized upgrade, The Shortcut | Matt Swider.
- Snapdragon Control Panel Improves the Gaming Experience on Windows 11 on Arm, Thurrott.com.
