I tested 5 PC games on the ASUS Zenbook A16 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme: Is Windows on ARM improving?
The newly released ASUS Zenbook A16, launched on April 7, 2026, features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processor as part of the second generation of Windows on ARM devices. A Windows Central reviewer tested five PC games on the laptop to evaluate how gaming performance has evolved on the ARM-based platform.
The review underscores a fundamental challenge in assessing Windows on ARM’s gaming viability: ARM-native PC games remain scarce in the Windows ecosystem. Despite this limitation, the reviewer delivered positive feedback about the Zenbook A16, suggesting the hardware shows meaningful potential for gaming on Windows on ARM. The Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is part of Qualcomm’s broader initiative to expand Windows beyond traditional x86 architecture, positioning ARM-based processors as a viable alternative for consumer laptops.
The article examines whether Windows on ARM gaming has substantially improved in its second generation, weighing both the platform’s potential and current limitations. As ARM-based computing becomes increasingly viable for Windows laptops, gaming performance emerges as a critical metric for mainstream consumer adoption.