Can I game on my Microsoft Surface Go laptop?

Hello everyone,
I have a Microsoft Surface Laptop Go, and I’m trying to figure out if I can use it for some gaming. I’d like to play on Xbox Live and try Black Ops 6, but I’m not sure if it’s possible with this setup. Also, is it worth expanding the storage with an SSD, or would I be better off just buying an Xbox?

BO6… with a 1035G1, 8GB RAM, and no dedicated GPU? Not much hope there, sadly.

Daryn said:
BO6… with a 1035G1, 8GB RAM, and no dedicated GPU? Not much hope there, sadly.

Thanks for letting me know! I don’t know much about laptops or tech, so thought I’d ask. :blush:

@Jesse
You could try some older games, maybe from before 2010.

Avery said:
@Jesse
You could try some older games, maybe from before 2010.

Actually, with a quad-core processor, it can handle some games if you add an external GPU.

Ainsley said:

Avery said:
@Jesse
You could try some older games, maybe from before 2010.

Actually, with a quad-core processor, it can handle some games if you add an external GPU.

It’s a laptop… how would you connect a GPU?

@Eli
Using an eGPU.

Ainsley said:
@Eli
Using an eGPU.

But isn’t that super expensive for performance similar to an older GPU?

@Jesse
Try games like Prototype, Subnautica (might stutter), or Need for Speed Underground if you’re into racing. I used to test out tons of low-end games back when I had a basic PC.

Some others: COD 2, Medal of Honor, Sniper Elite (had some lag but mostly playable), and Outlast if you like horror games.

@Dane
What settings do you use? Must be really low!

@Jesse
If you’re okay with slow load times, add 8GB more RAM, and it’ll run some games a bit better.

@Jesse
For real gaming, you’d need a dedicated GPU, like a Nvidia RTX or AMD Radeon, but these aren’t available in most laptops under $600. They can handle lighter games like Minecraft, but for AAA games, you’d be better off with a gaming desktop or an Xbox.

Daryn said:
BO6… with a 1035G1, 8GB RAM, and no dedicated GPU? Not much hope there, sadly.

It has integrated graphics, but they’re pretty weak.

You could play BO6 on it using Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with cloud gaming.

It should be able to run simple games like Minecraft Bedrock smoothly.

Blakeley said:
It should be able to run simple games like Minecraft Bedrock smoothly.

Or Minecraft Java with optimization mods like Sodium.

Francis said:

Blakeley said:
It should be able to run simple games like Minecraft Bedrock smoothly.

Or Minecraft Java with optimization mods like Sodium.

Vanilla Java works fine on my mini PC with a Celeron and 4GB RAM.

@Dane
I add optimization mods out of habit now.

Francis said:
@Dane
I add optimization mods out of habit now.

Same here!

That laptop isn’t really built for gaming. For a better experience, you’d want one with a dedicated GPU and 16GB of RAM. 8GB might be okay for basic tasks, but it’s not enough for gaming.