Windows on ARM: Microsoft brings native Xbox app to Snapdragon laptops

With the release of the new Xbox app, users of ARM-based Windows 11 systems can now directly download and run games from the Xbox PC catalogue. For titles that lack native or emulation engine support, Xbox Cloud Gaming remains an alternative solution. Microsoft emphasised that it will continue working with development studios and partners to broaden compatibility.

The technical foundation comes from the updated Prism emulator, which enables x86 and x64 software to run on ARM devices. A particularly crucial new addition for modern PC games is support for AVX and AVX2 instructions. Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat has also launched for Windows on ARM, making popular titles like Fortnite and Gears of War: Reloaded playable on ARM computers.

Windows Performance Fit is a new tool for helping gamers estimate how well a game might run on their hardware, though Microsoft doesn’t provide specific performance metrics. Especially on Snapdragon X laptops, gaming capability largely depends on GPU specifications, though you still shouldn’t expect high-end performance from these systems. Even so, the growing gaming support on ARM is paving the way for upcoming laptops powered by the far more capable Snapdragon X2 chips.

More Xbox-related enhancements in January

Alongside the Xbox app’s launch on ARM, Microsoft introduced the Game Save Sync Indicator, a feature that shows the real-time status of cloud saves on desktops and handhelds. Xbox Cloud Gaming is also set to arrive on selected Hisense and V homeOS-based smart TVs in 2026. The January update expands Xbox Play Anywhere, the Handheld Compatibility Program, Cloud Gaming with nine new titles, and the Retro Classics library. More games will also join the Game Pass catalogue this month.