What 3DMark’s Windows-on-ARM shift means for gaming tests
3DMark’s new Windows-on-ARM support means that high-end gaming benchmarks originally built for x86 PCs can now run natively on ARM-based Windows devices, allowing more accurate measurement of graphics, ray tracing, and system performance on emerging mobile and portable gaming hardware that uses ARM processors instead of traditional desktop chips. UL Benchmarks has enabled Windows ARM benchmarks across 3DMark Port Royal, Speed Way, and several DirectX 12 feature tests, and added an indicator to show whether runs are native or x64-emulated. This change follows Nvidia’s reveal of its RTX Spark Windows-on-ARM processors, pairing ARM-based CPUs with Blackwell GPUs. With proper Windows-on-ARM support, 3DMark gaming performance scores will increasingly reflect how future laptops, handhelds, and possibly phones behave under real DirectX workloads instead of relying on translation overhead and incomplete compatibility.
ARM phones are already flirting with ‘PC-class’ gaming loads
While 3DMark prepares ARM processor benchmarks for laptops and PCs, phones like the Red Magic 11S Pro show how far mobile silicon has come. The device uses a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version clocked up to 4.74 GHz and combines liquid metal, a 24,000 RPM active fan, and a micropump liquid cooling system to stay near its performance ceiling in long gaming sessions. In tests, it can reach 60 fps in Genshin Impact and 120 fps in Fortnite, while PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile run at their highest graphical settings without stability issues. It also sustains 3–4X resolution scaling in GameCube, Wii, and PlayStation 2 emulation with minimal frame drops. These results show why standardized Windows ARM benchmarks matter: mobile chips are already running desktop-class loads, so they need consistent, PC-grade performance testing.
Translation layers and frame generation reshape mobile performance
The Red Magic 11S Pro highlights how translation and upscaling tools influence mobile gaming performance testing. Through GameHub 6, which is based on Proton and Wine, the phone can run demanding PC titles designed for desktop operating systems. Ghost of Tsushima reaches an average of 47 fps at 720p low with FSR on a balanced profile and no frame generation, while Forza Horizon 6 averages around 33 fps at 720p low without frame generation. Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart sits at a 30 fps baseline at 720p medium, but frame generation lifts it into the 60–70 fps range at the cost of visual artifacts and softer image detail. These numbers show that reviewers must now judge not only raw fps but also the impact of translation overhead and the trade-off between sharper visuals and smoother animation in mobile gaming performance testing.
Standardized ARM benchmarking will align phones, handhelds, and laptops
As 3DMark gaming performance tools expand to Windows-on-ARM, cross-platform comparison becomes more realistic. UL Benchmarks now allows Port Royal, Speed Way, and key DirectX 12 tests such as Mesh Shader and DirectX Raytracing to run natively on ARM, with a clear flag showing whether a score comes from native execution or x64 emulation. An option for enterprise and reviewer licenses to choose native versus emulated runs further standardizes testing. This matters for future RTX Spark laptops, ARM handhelds, and even phones using desktop-class game streaming or translation layers, because they can be evaluated under similar synthetic loads. Consistent Windows ARM benchmarks will make ARM processor benchmarks more comparable to traditional x86 scores, giving developers, reviewers, and players a shared language for judging how well different devices handle advanced effects, ray tracing, and sustained gaming workloads.
