Revolutionizing Gaming: How Microsoft's COPILOT+ PCs Are Setting a New Standard

The era of personal computing is evolving rapidly, with Microsoft at the helm redefining our gaming experience and delivering the future of work. The latest innovation from Microsoft, the Copilot+ PC, is set to pave the way for innovative gaming experience, especially for its users. But what are the Copilot+ PCs, and what’s so new about them? Let’s find it all out here, starting from understanding the exclusive AI features of Snapdragon X powered PCs and their future of personal computing.

Microsoft's COPILOT+: More Than Just a PC

Harnessing Snapdragon X's Power

At the core of Copilot+ PCs is Snapdragon X processors – which uniquely provide exclusive AI features like Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR), which is Qualcomm’s answer to NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, or Intel XeSS. Upscaling a scene from dx11 render resolution to dx11a, frame rates can be boosted without sacrificing visual quality. Courtesy of author. Auto SR is not a revolutionary idea – it’s a competitor to DLSS, FidelityFX Super Resolution and Intel XeSS, which all fall into the category of upscaling technology, that can maintain, but often boost, frame rates by reducing the resolution of what a game is rendering and then using clever AI to upscale to give us pixel-perfect, buttery-smooth gaming experiences.

The Magic of Auto Super Resolution

Imagine playing Borderlands 3, God of War, or The Witcher 3 with the same level of sharpness and detail, but with vastly higher frame rates. (When playing with Auto SR, I didn’t notice any differences in the clarity of the images when they were in motion. However, the experience was much smoother when the characters were in motion.) On a Copilot+ PC, Auto SR is an embedded part of Windows. The supported software is a default set of pre-existing games, but once you get in the habit of playing certain games that you enjoy, you won’t want to go back. With the ability to opt in to Auto SR results for unsupported ‘out of the box’ games, the list of supported games will grow and grow – bringing a new dimension to PC gaming experiences.

The Requirements for Auto SR

To access Auto SR, you need: A Copilot+ PC with a Qualcomm® Snapdragon® X processor, preinstalled with Windows 11 and version 24H2 or above installed, and the latest graphics and neural processor drivers. These elements combine to provide optimum gaming experience as advertised by Microsoft.

Are COPILOT+ PCs Good for Gaming?

While these aren’t ‘gaming PCs’ in the conventional sense, these Copilot+ PCs – such as the HP OmniBook X – as well as the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop series, can probably run many games just fine. And while even Windows 11 on Arm requires some emulation for many games, that emulation also runs surprisingly well. Microsoft has demonstrated Baldur’s Gate 3 running at a playable frame rate on a similar setup to the Surface Pro 11, and it’s safe to say that Surface devices can compete against today’s gaming handhelds. If Windows 11 on Arm gains sufficient traction, it might substantially transform the portable gaming market, too.

Microsoft's New Flagships: The Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7

Surface Pro 11th Edition

The company’s most recent 2-in-1 flagship, the Surface Pro 11, stands out as the most stellar Copilot+ PC in the category. It features an optional OLED display, and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors, making it a design powerhouse and showcase of the latest AI Microsoft is putting into personal computers.

Surface Laptop 7th Edition

The Surface Laptop 7 is an evolution of our shared computing journey. Do you remember when a handheld computer could be no bigger than a phone or a large egg? Its CPU could barely make a rattle. But now, with the clamshell Surface Laptop 7, our hands can hold and delight in a personal computing experience powered by the Snapdragon X processor and Windows AI features that are built for work and play.

Conclusion: The Future Powered by Microsoft and AI

Even more noticeable than your average upgrade, Copilot+ PCs will usher in what was once unimaginable – the world as seen through the eyes of your AI. Gaming and computational tasks will run faster and longer on Snapdragon X processors, powering the Microsoft AI-centric future, where you can expect data to come to you and where computers will work better, longer and more immersively.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq ‘MSFT’ @Microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft set pioneering precedents in both personal and enterprise computing during the 1980s through the 2000s. Decades later, driven by a commitment to innovate and a vision of a cloud-first, mobile-first world, Microsoft continues to build the next generation of software, services, devices and experiences to empower every individual and organisation on the planet to do more and achieve more.