Xbox app lands on Windows 11 on Arm, with most Game Pass titles now supported
Microsoft has opened the Xbox app to all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs, so these systems can use the same Xbox PC experience as x86 laptops and desktops. Microsoft describes the move like this: “Today marks another milestone for players everywhere. The Xbox app is now available on all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs.”
Arm-based Windows 11 PCs can now download and run a large chunk of the Xbox PC app catalog locally. Microsoft says more than 85% of the Game Pass catalog is compatible on these devices right now. If a title does not run locally yet, Xbox Cloud Gaming is the fallback option while Microsoft and partners expand support.
Today marks another milestone for players everywhere. The Xbox app is now available on all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs, bringing you the experience you know and love—ready for you to download, play and enjoy.
— Microsoft
A key piece is Prism, Microsoft’s x86 and x64 translation layer for Windows on Arm. Microsoft says Prism now supports AVX and AVX2, which should help more modern PC games launch and run. Microsoft also calls out Epic Anti-Cheat support, which helps bring titles like Fortnite and Gears of War: Reloaded to Arm-based Windows 11 PCs.
Microsoft adds Windows Performance Fit as a way to guide users toward games that should run well on a given device. None of the announcements really put numbers on how fast games run. That matters because Windows on Arm devices range from higher-end systems with decent integrated graphics to cheaper models that may struggle with demanding titles. But overall, the Snapdragon X-Series are not really designed for gaming. This should change with the X2 Series release in the coming weeks, which is at least twice as powerful.
Source: Windows Blog
