Qualcomm is developing a new video driver designed to enable native execution of Windows games using DirectX 12 on Android smartphones. This initiative aims to eliminate the need for multiple translation layers, allowing top-tier PC titles to run directly on mobile hardware.
The project focuses on the company's latest flagship processors, specifically the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, unveiled in September 2026. These chips feature the Oryon 2+6 architecture with clock speeds reaching 5 GHz for Prime cores and 4 GHz for Performance cores.
The Extreme version includes dedicated Adreno Matrix cores for AI tasks like frame generation and super-resolution. Testing on a reference device powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 has successfully demonstrated stable performance for Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong.
During these tests, both games maintained a playable frame rate of over 30 FPS using a single translation layer. While Qualcomm has not provided an official release date for the driver, the ongoing engineering tests indicate a significant shift toward supporting demanding PC gaming on mobile devices.
