Native vs. emulation: World of Warcraft game performance on Snapdragon X Elite
4 days ago
- #Windows on ARM
- #Snapdragon X Elite
- #Gaming Performance
- Snapdragon X Elite dev kit tested for World of Warcraft performance, comparing native vs. emulated versions.
- Initial tests showed a 40-60% FPS drop in x86 emulation for WoW Classic, but recent Windows updates (Prism emulator) improved performance.
- Test platform: Snapdragon X Elite dev kit with 3.8 GHz SoC, 32GB RAM, running Windows 11 25H2 Insider Preview.
- WoW tested in various scenarios (light/heavy zones, dungeons, combat) at 1080p with low and high settings.
- Results show x86 emulation rivaling native performance, except in CPU-intensive combat scenarios (e.g., Karazhan raid).
- Windows on ARM handles many x86 apps but not all (e.g., Unigine Valley ran, Superposition failed).
- Strict emulation settings significantly reduce performance.
- Comparison with Intel/AMD mobile SoCs shows Intel/AMD lead in iGPU-heavy tasks, while CPU tasks are similar across platforms.
- Native WoW version is default in Battle.net; no user action needed for optimal performance.
- Windows on ARM improvements noted, but challenges remain (app compatibility, Linux support).
- Qualcomm preparing second-gen X Elite chips; initial laptop sales saw high returns.
- Linux support for Snapdragon X Elite is limited, despite better ARM Linux support overall.