- The Windows ARM laptop launched a year ago and had some of the worst software support.
- Many games and other applications now launch and work fine, though the performance figures are still not great.
- Worksonwoa keeps track of all the compatible games and applications that are ready to use on the ARM-based Windows machines.
Windows on ARM isn’t anything new; we have had ARM-based Windows machines in the past. Though they weren’t as interesting as this recent one, which is the Microsoft Surface laptop (2024). Mainly because it featured the first-ever Snapdragon processor made by Qualcomm for Windows-based laptops. The laptop and its CPU were heavily marketed as the new era of AI-featured laptops while being as efficient as the Apple MacBooks.
A Slight Bit of Recap
For some context, the processor is called Snapdragon X Plus and is based on ARM architecture with a total of 10 CPU cores. Now, since it’s an ARM-based CPU, it’s highly efficient for sure. Though its performance is still questionable even after a year of release. According to Dawid from Dawid Does Tech Stuff, when he tested the laptop a year ago, it could barely launch anything, let alone the running part. Mainstream games such as CS2, ARK Survival, Starfield, Helldivers 2, and Doom Eternal simply refused to launch except for a few titles, as shown in his video.
The Current State
Now that a full year has passed, the Snapdragon X Plus laptop has received a few serious updates from Microsoft. With Insider Preview Build 27744 of Windows 11, Microsoft has improved its Prism emulator. This is basically a translation layer to help run the x86-based software on ARM hardware. The update brings support for crucial CPU extensions such as AVX, AVX2, F16C, BMI, and FMA. The biggest achievement here would be the AVX2 instruction set support, as it’s a prerequisite for modern gaming nowadays.
Furthermore, Microsoft has also dropped native support for the Xbox PC App to let players install games locally onto their systems directly from the Xbox PC App. This is a big step up from the previous state, where you were only allowed to stream games via cloud on the Xbox PC app. However, it’s still a work-in-progress, so you’ll have to join the insider program, as it will take some time before going public.
The Actual Results
With the new CPU extensions support in place, the ARM processor now runs every game that it previously refused to launch at all. Dawid Does Tech Stuff tested the ARM hardware in his latest video, where he showed games running. One such example is Doom Eternal, which now runs at 1080p low settings and 40-ish FPS most of the time.
The same is the case with Starfield, which launches without a problem now, though the performance is still very weak and the game is borderline unplayable, unlike Doom Eternal or CS2. What’s more is that the ARM hardware has also received a performance uplift, which can be witnessed in Cyberpunk 2077 since it was also playable before.
Compatibility Tracker
Now, since Windows doesn’t openly advertise what improvements they are offering with each update, and which applications or games will be influenced by it. There’s a separate-dedicated website by the name Worksonwoa. It keeps track of each application, such as Photoshop or Blender. It also tracks games that start working on the ARM architecture and then marks them as compatible with their specific software version. It’s a convenient way to stay updated on which applications you can start using immediately on your ARM-based hardware.
Still A Far Cry from Being Perfect
The ARM hardware has received some significant upgrades in terms of software compatibility via its Prism layer. The current state is still not ideal for gaming, even after a whole year of updates. Surely it can run almost every mainstream game now; however, in many titles, the performance is awful. Like Apple MacBooks, ARM on Windows needs quite a bit of bit and focused work to get things working smoothly on this hardware.
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Zain is our hardware expert, known for deep-dive reviews and round-ups on motherboards, CPUs, RAM, GPUs, and cooling systems. He focuses on performance and value, skipping the marketing hype to give you honest, no-nonsense advice.
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