Microsoft fixes gaming bug on ARM chip computers

Microsoft announced a new preview update for the Xbox app on Windows 11 on August 15, adding support for downloading Xbox PC games on Windows 11 devices with ARM chips, such as those using the Snapdragon X SoC.

Previously, the Xbox app on ARM-based PCs could only stream games, but now it adds the ability to download and run games locally.

Ứng dụng Xbox trên Arm hiện có thể tải xuống trò chơi cục bộ. Ảnh: Windows Central | Jez Corden — The Xbox on Arm app can now download games locally. Photo: Windows Central | Jez Corden

While ARM device users can still download games from third-party stores like Steam and Origin, the Xbox app has removed that feature, only allowing users to stream games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Microsoft Store also faces similar limitations, blocking the majority of games from being downloadable on ARM PCs.

This is unfortunate, because while some games won't run on ARM PCs, many others won't, and many games in the Microsoft Store can run on Windows on ARM PCs with little to no issues. It seems like Microsoft has finally acknowledged this fact and is allowing users to download and test it.

In addition to the added ability to download games locally, Microsoft also announced that it is developing a number of features and improvements for Windows 11 designed to improve the gaming experience on ARM-powered PCs.

Windows computers using Snapdragon X chips based on ARM architecture have every advantage except gaming. Photo: Tue Minh

"Windows and Xbox are working closely to ensure compatibility across the entire portfolio, and we're developing new features that will enable more games to be played on Windows 11 on ARM® PCs in the coming months," Microsoft said in a statement.

This is the first time Microsoft has publicly committed to improving the Windows on ARM gaming experience, which has struggled because most Windows games aren't natively compiled for the architecture.

Even though Microsoft introduced an improved emulation layer to run x86 apps and games on Arm with the Windows 11 version 24H2 update, some games still don't run well or don't run at all.

Hopefully Microsoft is teasing improvements that will allow more games to run on emulators. One reason some games don't run on ARM is because of anti-cheat services, which aren't natively compiled for ARM and don't work on emulators.

If Microsoft can improve the operating system so that these anti-cheat services can run on emulators, it would allow a lot more games to run on ARM.

When Qualcomm first announced its Snapdragon X SoC last year, it touted gaming as a major area of improvement for the new chip generation. For the first time ever, Windows PCs running ARM chips could run AAA titles, even in emulation, thanks to a new Microsoft emulation layer built into the new chips.

However, when the Snapdragon X platform finally launched, although many games ran, gamers were disappointed with the performance and compatibility because although many games ran, the emulation layer still caused performance issues and graphics issues, most of which would not be an issue if the games were compiled natively for Arm.

But anti-cheat is the biggest problem facing Windows on ARM PCs and gaming. Games that run on it don’t even run very well, meaning many popular titles like Halo Infinite, Fortnite, and League of Legends can’t be played on ARM PCs, even if they run well with emulators. So hopefully Microsoft plans to address these key issues with an emulator layer in the future.

Đây là loại lỗi mà bạn sẽ thấy ở rất nhiều trò chơi trên Arm hiện nay. Ảnh: Windows Central — This is the kind of bug you'll see in a lot of Arm games these days. Photo: Windows Central

NVIDIA is rumored to be working on ARM chips, which could be released as early as next year. If that happens, it’s only a matter of time before we see the first Windows ARM PCs powered by NVIDIA chips, which are already pretty capable for gaming. So it’s important that Microsoft improves these aspects of Windows ARM gaming before that happens.

In recent months, Microsoft has announced major changes to Windows 11 that are designed to improve the entire gaming platform. The company is committed to building a dedicated user interface and experience for gaming PCs, making them easier to use when running Windows 11, including the recently launched Xbox ROG Ally.

We haven't seen any Arm-powered gaming PCs running Windows 11 yet, but Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon G, a SoC designed specifically for handheld PCs, and it's likely NVIDIA will want to bring one to market as well, so it's only a matter of time.