Qualcomm is making a significant push to improve gaming performance on Windows on Arm devices with its latest software updates and hardware improvements. The company has rolled out a new Snapdragon Control Panel designed to address long-standing challenges that have plagued ARM-based gaming experiences on Windows laptops.
Breaking Through Gaming Barriers
The new Snapdragon Control Panel represents a comprehensive approach to optimizing gaming on Windows on Snapdragon devices. Similar to utilities offered by Nvidia and AMD, the panel automatically detects installed games and provides granular control over performance settings including frame rate caps, anti-aliasing, and texture filtering.
Qualcomm reports that over 100 games have already received fixes and improvements since last year, with the company committing to day-zero support for new titles and upgradable graphics drivers for upcoming X2 Elite-powered laptops in 2026.
Key Technical Improvements
The update includes several critical enhancements:
AVX2 Emulation Support: Qualcomm has rolled out AVX2 (Advanced Vector Extensions) emulation across all Snapdragon X Series laptops, enabling compatibility with a broader range of applications. The company even provided instructions for users to enable this feature themselves.
Enhanced Anti-Cheat Compatibility: One of the most notable improvements is better compatibility with anti-cheat software. Notably, Fortnite now runs significantly better on Windows on Arm devices, making competitive gaming more viable on these platforms.
Driver Management: The Snapdragon Control Panel facilitates the installation of latest Adreno GPU drivers specifically tuned for new game releases, ensuring stability and performance optimization across the gaming library.
Xbox Integration: The Xbox app on Windows on Arm can now download ARM64-compatible games, expanding the available gaming library for Snapdragon-powered devices.
Hardware Advances with X2 Elite
The gaming improvements are complemented by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 Elite processors, which the company claims deliver substantially faster performance than previous generations. The X2 Elite chips, available in 18-core and 12-core configurations, represent a major leap forward for gaming on Windows notebooks.
These processors are designed to handle complex workloads while maintaining efficient power consumption, enabling multi-day battery life—a significant advantage over traditional Windows gaming laptops powered by Intel or AMD chips.
Looking Ahead
The first laptops powered by Snapdragon X2 Elite processors will arrive in the first half of 2026, bringing these gaming improvements to consumers. Qualcomm’s coordinated effort combining software optimization with new hardware demonstrates the company’s commitment to making Windows on Arm a viable gaming platform.
For gamers considering Snapdragon-powered laptops, these updates suggest a significantly improved experience compared to earlier generations that faced compatibility and performance issues.
Photo by Nennieinszweidrei on Pixabay