Microsoft has made its Xbox app available on all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs, enabling users to download and stream games seamlessly. This update coincides with advancements in Arm compatibility, including support for over 85 percent of the Game Pass catalog. The timing aligns with rumors of upcoming Arm hardware from Nvidia and Qualcomm.
Microsoft announced on January 21, 2026, that the Xbox app is now available on all Arm-based Windows 11 PCs. This release allows users to purchase, download, and stream PC games directly on these devices. The app's compatibility stems from a December 2025 update to Microsoft's Prism emulator, which translates x86 and x64 applications to Arm architecture and now supports AVX and AVX2 extensions for efficient game performance.
More than 85 percent of the Game Pass catalog is now compatible with Arm PCs, expanding access to a wide range of titles. Unlike Valve's SteamOS on devices like the Steam Deck, Windows on Arm supports anti-cheat software such as Epic's Easy Anti-Cheat, enabling broader access to online multiplayer games.
Microsoft has invested years in optimizing Windows for Arm processors, with a significant push through the 2024 launch of the Copilot+ PC program. Many of these PCs feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, with the latest models announced in September 2025. While Microsoft's handheld gaming efforts have primarily used AMD chips, the enhanced Arm support raises speculation about an impending Arm-based Windows 11 handheld.
The update arrives amid rumors of Nvidia's N1X CPU debut and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 chips, potentially broadening hardware options for Arm gaming on Windows.
