Compatibility Issues with Qualcomm-Arm Chips in New Microsoft PCs

The latest AI-enabled Windows PCs from Microsoft, which use Qualcomm Arm chips, face significant compatibility issues with many popular video games, limiting the appeal of these devices for serious gamers.

9/4/2024, 5:14 PM
Eulerpool News Sep 4, 2024, 5:14 PM

Microsoft and Qualcomm face challenges as the latest Windows PCs with AI features are not compatible with many popular video games. The new Copilot+ PCs, which launched in the spring, use Qualcomm chips based on Arm designs instead of traditional Intel chips. This change leads to compatibility issues with games developed for Intel's x86 architecture, which has been the standard for many PCs for decades.

Approximately 1,300 PC games were tested for their functionality on the new Arm-powered PCs, and only about half ran smoothly, according to James McWhirter, an analyst at Omdia. It is worth mentioning that games such as "League of Legends" and "Fortnite" present particular difficulties because their anti-cheat software is incompatible with the Arm architecture.

Microsoft has confirmed that some games may not be playable on the Copilot+ PCs, especially those with demanding graphics requirements. However, the company emphasizes its commitment to providing a high-quality gaming experience on these PCs, while acknowledging that players seeking a native high-performance gaming experience might need to consider another PC alternative optimized for gaming.

Qualcomm is working to improve the situation and is collaborating with developers of anti-cheat software to make their codes more compatible. Despite these efforts, the problems cannot be resolved with a simple software patch due to the fundamental structure of the current Arm-Qualcomm chips.

Intel plans to introduce its own chips for PCs with Copilot+ AI features in September, and computer manufacturers are expected to widely sell models with Intel chips next year. This could offer a solution for gamers who want to utilize the AI features of the latest PCs without compromising compatibility with their favorite games.

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