Snapdragon X Elite Gaming Performance: Impressive Benchmarks and One Hurdle to Overcome

Ever since the Microsoft Build session showcased a Snapdragon X Elite laptop running Borderlands 3 at an impressive level, I’ve been eagerly anticipating more. While Borderlands 3 isn’t a new game, it remains challenging on PC. The Snapdragon X Elite chips promise exceptional performance, and I’ve delved into the data to see just how well they perform.

Worksonwoa.com: A Treasure Trove of Performance Reports

Thanks to worksonwoa.com—an endorsed website by Qualcomm—we have access to over 1,300 entries detailing gaming performance on new Snapdragon X Elite laptops. These chips aren’t traditional x86 CPUs, and most of these games likely haven’t been natively compiled for ARM. Nevertheless, the results are exciting.

Impressive Figures and a Familiar Foe

I’ve sifted through the pages, and the performance figures are impressive. Titles like Spider-Man Remastered hitting just over 30 FPS on Snapdragon X Elite laptops are no joke. Even The Witcher 3 manages 45 FPS, and Cyberpunk 2077 looks playable. These laptops, despite not being gaming-focused, deliver remarkable performance with ARM chips.

The Anti-Cheat Conundrum

However, there’s a significant hurdle: anti-cheat software. Just like on the Steam Deck, this issue extends to Windows on ARM. Popular titles like Valorant, League of Legends, PUBG, and Fortnite are labeled as unplayable due to anti-cheat limitations. While some games like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 work fine, it’s a widespread problem.

Developers need to address this. While anti-cheat tools support Linux, their adoption remains uncertain. Windows on ARM holds promise, but overcoming this obstacle is crucial for a seamless gaming experience.

Exciting times lie ahead for Windows laptops, and I can’t wait to see how real users embrace these Snapdragon X Elite devices after their release on June 18.