Qualcomm's Snapdragon Gaming Push Fails to Impress

Qualcomm is aggressively promoting gaming capabilities on its Snapdragon X and X2 processors for laptops, recently gaining access to Fortnite and Epic's Easy Anti-Cheat system. However, demonstrations at CES 2026 showed the Snapdragon X2 Extreme chip running older titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider from 2018, rather than modern GPU-intensive games.

While the platform supports AMD FSR and custom upscaling features, Qualcomm's reference designs failed to show compelling performance compared to competitors. AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme already runs Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at over 30 fps native, and Intel's Panther Lake laptops demonstrated Battlefield 6 at 200+ fps with multi-frame generation.

Most notably, Qualcomm has no presence in the handheld gaming market, where integrated GPU performance matters most. With AMD and Intel already established in this segment, analysts question whether Qualcomm's late entry can compete. The company also avoided showing Cyberpunk 2077 or Black Myth: Wukong performance during press demos, instead focusing on AI voice-changing features.

Qualcomm showcased its new high-end Snapdragon X2 Extreme chip at CES 2026, running Shadow of the Tomb Raider as a performance demonstration. The game, originally released in September 2018, represents a title that is over seven years old. While it was considered graphically intensive when it launched on RTX 2080 hardware, running it smoothly on integrated GPUs at 1080p with High settings in 2026 is not considered a significant achievement by industry observers.

The demonstration highlighted several concerns about Qualcomm's gaming strategy:

• Focus on older titles rather than modern GPU-intensive games
• Reference design systems that may not match consumer hardware performance
• Performance comparisons showing gaps versus competitor offerings
• Emphasis on AI features rather than raw gaming performance

During the same event, AMD demonstrated its Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor running Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at over 30 fps native on the Lenovo Legion Go 2 handheld. Meanwhile, Intel showed thin and light Panther Lake laptops achieving over 200 fps in Battlefield 6 using multi-frame generation technology.

The Snapdragon X platform's lack of discrete GPU options becomes more apparent when considering gaming use cases. While integrated graphics have improved significantly, the absence of a dedicated graphics solution limits performance potential for demanding titles. Qualcomm's reference design laptop did have Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong installed, but neither game was running during press demonstrations.

Instead, the company focused discussions on AI voice-changing features for gaming, rather than addressing performance expectations with modern titles. This shift in focus away from traditional gaming metrics suggests potential limitations in raw performance capabilities.

The handheld gaming market represents a critical segment for integrated GPU performance, yet Qualcomm has made no attempt to enter this space. Current market conditions include:

• AMD maintaining an early lead with Ryzen Z2 Extreme
• Intel actively pursuing market share with Lunar Lake and Panther Lake chips
• Qualcomm absent from the handheld segment entirely

With established competitors already serving this market, Qualcomm's opportunity to launch a Snapdragon-based handheld has likely passed. The company's strategy appears focused on general consumer laptops rather than dedicated gaming devices.

Despite gaining access to Fortnite and Epic's Easy Anti-Cheat system, Qualcomm faces significant challenges in making Snapdragon laptops compelling gaming platforms. The platform does support AMD FSR and Qualcomm's custom Snapdragon Game Super Resolution upscaling, but these features alone may not be sufficient to attract gamers.

Performance demonstrations have shown mixed results. Baldur's Gate 3 was previously shown on the original Snapdragon X Elite platform, but performance on Qualcomm's reference designs did not hold up well when compared to actual consumer systems. This pattern of reference designs underperforming relative to shipping hardware creates uncertainty about real-world gaming capabilities.

The competitive positioning is challenging:

1. AMD already dominates handheld gaming with proven integrated GPU performance
2. Intel is demonstrating strong frame rates in modern titles using advanced technologies
3. Qualcomm is showing older games without clear performance metrics

General consumer laptops like Microsoft Surface devices are not considered gaming platforms, even if they can run some games. Without dedicated gaming handhelds or high-performance discrete GPU options, Qualcomm's gaming push faces an uphill battle against established competitors.

Qualcomm's efforts to establish Snapdragon as a viable gaming platform face substantial skepticism based on recent demonstrations and strategic positioning. The company's reliance on older game titles, reference design systems with uncertain real-world performance, and focus on AI features rather than gaming metrics suggests gaming may not be the primary strength of the platform.

The absence from the handheld gaming market, where integrated GPU performance is most critical, represents a significant missed opportunity. With AMD and Intel already competing effectively in this segment, Qualcomm's late entry would face formidable competition.

While Snapdragon X-series laptops now have access to more games through Easy Anti-Cheat support, the overall value proposition for gamers remains unclear. The combination of no handheld offerings, reliance on reference designs that may not reach market, and lack of transparency on modern game performance leaves Qualcomm's gaming claims less than compelling compared to the previous generation.