The new PC Copilot+: lights and shadows

  • Microsoft's new Copilot+ PCs feature AI, but struggle with popular video games.
  • The Prism emulator, designed to run x86 applications, fails to live up to expectations.
  • AI performance is positive, but disappointment in games has generated discontent among users.
  • Samsung has honestly reported on the incompatibility of certain games and applications on Windows ARM.

PC Copilot+

The announcement of the launch of the new series of computers PC Copilot+, equipped with Artificial Intelligence, had raised many expectations. However, now that they are on sale, we find lights and shadows: the new PC Copilot+ stand out in AI, but they face some challenges to be solved with the most popular video games.

Users' concerns began as a result of a report recently published in The Wall Street Journal and which is having a global impact. And this concern is not so much about the problems themselves, but about the fact that there is no short- or medium-term solution in sight.

What distinguishes the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, the first Microsoft laptops with integrated AI, is that they incorporate the Qualcomm ARM chip. The specific objectives of the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. Both cases include a neural processing unit (NPU), which is essential for running AI.

This all sounded very promising on paper, but in reality, users were faced with a number of problems similar to those already experienced with Apple Macs: the inability to run many PC games, designed for the x86 chip architectureThis has generated quite a bit of discontent among the segment of users (estimated at 15% of the total) who regularly use their laptops for gaming.

Microsoft's failed solution

arm chip

Microsoft has tried to respond to this problem with an emergency solution through the Prism emulator. Broadly speaking, the remedy is copied from what Apple did at the time with Rosetta 2 for Macs. That is, adding a layer of emulation in the new ARM chips that allows x86 applications to run.

But despite Microsoft's efforts, This solution has proven to be only half-effective. In a large general test of over 1.300 PC games, errors of all kinds were reported in about half of them. In some cases, it was not even possible to start the game. This is the case with such well-known titles as Destiny 2, Starfield, Halo Infinite o Fall Guys.

The reactions of users and specialized media range from disappointment to indignation. And, although Microsoft informed The Wall Street Journal that «Titles with demanding graphics requirements may not run well on PC Copilot+ laptops"Reality has shown that errors occur even in the simplest games.

The future of Copilot+ PC is in question

PC Copilot+

In addition to launching its own AI laptop models, Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, Microsoft has also partnered with some of the biggest manufacturers (ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo or Samsung, among others) to enhance this new generation of laptops.

It has to be said that, In the Artificial Intelligence section, the performance of these new devices is as expected, that is, very positive.. Nothing to complain about. However, the gaming fiasco has been a huge disappointment. It is appreciated that some manufacturers such as Samsung have had the honesty to inform their customers of the problem instead of trying to hide it or minimize it.

The South Korean brand, following the presentation of the Samsung Galaxy Edge 4, has even dared to compile a list of apps and games that are not supported on the ARM version of Windows 11. In this list we find such popular apps as Avast Cleanup, Kaspersky Antivirus, Adobe Illustrator o Google Drive, as well as game titles such as Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Fall Guys, League of Legends and many others.

All of this puts the future of PC Copilot+ in doubt for the time being. We will have to wait and see how the industry reacts and wait for a solution to these ARM chip deficiencies to be found soon. For the time being, it is most likely that manufacturers will stop their projects focused on PC Copilot+ and consider what path to take.


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