DirectX Developer Blog
This year at Microsoft Build 2024 we announced a new set of Windows devices, Copilot+ PCs. Copilot+ PCs are a new class of Windows 11 PCs, including Arm-powered devices that are powered by the Snapdragon® X Series. These new Arm devices have cutting-edge new processing power coming from the CPU, GPU, and NPU (neural processing unit). This new hardware, in combination with innovations in Windows 11, is a step forward for Arm gaming.
A few weeks ago, we showed several initiatives that improve the gaming experience on Arm-based Copilot+ PCs: advancements such as Prism emulation, automatic super resolution (Auto SR), progress bringing fan-favorite games that use anti-cheat to Arm, and the launch of Linaro’s new game compatibility site WorksOnWoA.com. In this post, we’ll dive into each of these in more detail starting with new innovations within the latest Windows 11 release.
Windows 11 24H2 Platform Innovation
Windows 11 24H2 includes many new capabilities that utilize the high-performance hardware of Copilot+ PCs and new software optimizations. One example is our new emulation engine – Prism. Prism works transparently whenever you open a x86 or x64 app on an Arm-based Windows 11 device by converting the x86 or x64 code to the Arm64 instruction set – without additional work required from developers.Given that many of today’s games are x86 or x64, Prism unlocks a large back catalog of games that work great on Arm under emulation. While Windows on Arm has had emulation in the past, the performance improvements of Prism, along with automatic super resolution and the new Snapdragon® X Series processors together emerge as a game-changer. As an example, here’s a brief video of Baldur’s Gate 3 using DX11 and Prism to run emulated on an Arm-based Windows 11 Copilot+ PC:
At Build this year we have also introduced automatic super resolution, the latest innovation in gaming graphics! Auto SR is the first OS-integrated AI super resolution technique, making select existing games automatically play smoother while still looking stunning, by default! To learn more on how Auto SR enhances games on Copilot+ PCs with a Snapdragon® X Series processor, check out the latest DirectX Blog Post talking about automatic super resolution.
Celebrating Partner Momentum on Windows on Arm
Don’t just take our word for it – many Windows gaming partners have recently introduced and improved their support for gaming on Arm.Latest Anti-Cheat Providers on Arm
Anti-cheat software makes competitive online gaming safe and trustworthy. These tools ensure that games load and run on PCs securely and are protected from cheaters. The most sophisticated anti-cheat services use kernel drivers that are not supported by emulation today. Microsoft has partnered with top anti-cheat developers and game studios to ensure their software works well on Arm. We’ve helped partners get access to pre-release builds, development guides, and expertise from our engineering teams as more partners bring their solutions to Arm.We are excited to announce the latest advancements in gaming compatibility on Arm: anti-cheat solutions such as BattlEye, Denuvo Anti-Cheat, and Wellbia XIGNCODE3 / UNCHEATER all now support Windows on Arm! Anti-cheat support on Arm means gamers can enjoy their favorite titles securely and fairly, on Copilot+ PCs.
Partner in Focus: BattlEye Anti-Cheat
BattlEye, one of the leading anti-cheat solutions in the gaming industry, has extended its support to Arm. This marks a pivotal moment for gaming on devices powered by Arm processors, enabling a wider audience to participate in a secure and cheat-free environment. With BattlEye’s support on Arm, many popular games that exclusively use BattlEye are now fully compatible with Arm-based devices.Here’s BattlEye’s CEO & Lead Developer, Bastian Suter, describing the journey and partnership:
BattlEye will be supported in the Windows 11 24H2 update, version 26100.863. Below is a brief demo of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, powered by BattlEye, running on a new Arm-based Copilot+ PC!
Partner in Focus: Linaro
Speaking of game compatibility, Microsoft and Qualcomm have contributed compatibility data to a third-party open-source site from Linaro. This website is an open-source database dedicated to cataloging game compatibility on Arm-based Windows 11 devices. To kickstart this initiative, Microsoft and Qualcomm have jointly validated and shared nearly 1,400 compatible games for Windows on Arm, with more than 1,200 titles offering a good experience at 30 FPS or higher, at 1080p resolution. To learn more about Windows on Arm game compatibility, you can use Linaro’s new website https://WorksOnWoA.com/!
Prepare for Gaming on Arm!
As we continue to push the boundaries of Arm gaming, we’re encouraging studios to be ready for feedback from users on these devices. Now is the perfect time to start testing your games on Arm devices and ensuring compatibility!Resources: Develop for Windows on Arm
Here are a variety of references for development on Arm:- Introducing Copilot+ PCs
- Arm Copilot+ PC Dev Kit
- Windows on Arm Developer Documentation
- Build and port apps for native performance on Arm
- Visual Studio on Arm-powered devices
- How x86 emulation works on Arm
- Windows on Arm support for Open Source
- Linaro’s Game Compatibility Website, Works on Windows on Arm
Source:
A Step Forward for Gaming on Arm Devices - DirectX Developer Blog
This year at Microsoft Build 2024 we announced a new set of Windows devices, Copilot+ PCs. Copilot+ PCs are a new class of Windows 11 PCs, including Arm-powered devices that are powered by the Snapdragon® X Series. These new Arm devices have cutting-edge new processing power coming from the CPU,
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