native Arm versions Archives

Winsage

March 14, 2025

Fortnite is breaking down a huge barrier for Snapdragon chips

Epic Games has partnered with Qualcomm to integrate Fortnite and its Easy Anti-Cheat software into Snapdragon X Elite PCs. This collaboration aims to tackle compatibility issues between Windows applications and Snapdragon devices due to differences in x86 and Arm instruction set architectures. The introduction of Easy Anti-Cheat is expected to facilitate the addition of more games on Snapdragon PCs, depending on developer support. Despite the potential of Snapdragon X Elite PCs for gaming, app support has been limited. Fortnite is set to launch on these devices later this year, paving the way for more titles. Easy Anti-Cheat requires kernel-level access, making it incompatible with emulation layers, which presents challenges for running conventional Windows applications designed for x86. Epic Games aims to improve anti-cheat support for other games through this initiative, although not all games may receive support due to potential performance issues with emulation.

Winsage

November 9, 2024

Telegram is the latest of my daily Windows apps to enjoy native ARM support on Snapdragon X and even my ancient Surface

Telegram is a leading messaging application available on Windows, Android, and Apple devices. The latest version 5.7.2 includes integrated native ARM64 support. Users can download Telegram for Windows on ARM from GitHub, where it is offered as a full installation or a portable application. Previously, Telegram operated under Microsoft's Prism emulation layer on ARM devices, but now it runs natively on ARM64, providing a faster and more efficient experience. Users can download the app via an executable installer or as a portable option from the 'telegramdesktop' GitHub page.

Winsage

November 8, 2024

Microsoft tests emulator to bring support for x64 apps and games to Windows on Arm: What it means for users

Microsoft is testing a significant update for systems using Qualcomm's Arm-based processors, introduced in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build. This update includes a tool that enhances Copilot Plus PCs with Snapdragon X Elite or X Plus processors through its Prism emulation layer, allowing a wider range of x64 applications and games to run on these devices. The update aims to enable high-demand games like Starfield and Helldivers 2 on Arm-based Windows devices and is currently being trialed by Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel. The update improves the usability of 64-bit x86 software, providing access to processor extensions like AVX and AVX2, enhancing performance and compatibility. However, 32-bit software will still face limitations. Many applications, including Photoshop, Hulu, and Chrome, have transitioned to native ARM64 versions, while others rely on emulation. Adobe has re-enabled Premiere Pro for Windows 11 ARM devices powered by the Snapdragon X chip, allowing it to run under emulation after previously disabling it due to performance issues. Premiere Pro is now available within the Creative Cloud app, although performance may not match that of Intel or AMD-based machines. A native ARM version of Premiere Pro is in development, but no release date has been announced. Photoshop is currently the only Adobe application available natively for Windows on ARM, while other applications like After Effects are expected to gain support through emulation. Adobe's move aligns with its commitment to enhance its Creative Suite for Windows on ARM, and competitors like DaVinci Resolve are also working on native ARM versions of their software. Microsoft's Clipchamp has already been established as an ARM-native solution.

Winsage

October 17, 2024

The death of x86 may be “severely exaggerated,” but these native Arm apps are here to threaten Intel and AMD

Several popular applications have been optimized for Windows on Arm, including NordVPN, Arc Browser, Foxit PDF Editor, and Notion, which now run natively on Windows 11 on Arm devices. Native applications typically offer better performance and efficiency compared to emulated ones. The Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors support a wider range of applications, contributing to the growth of the Windows on Arm app library. Microsoft and Qualcomm have collaborated to improve program performance on Arm devices, leading to a rise in native app availability. Some applications still rely on emulation, but many popular apps are transitioning to native Arm versions.

Winsage

June 25, 2024

Snapdragon X Copilot+ PC: My Windows 11 on Arm App Compatibility Scorecard

The text discusses the author's experience installing various apps on Windows 11 on Arm. The author installed apps such as Google Chrome, Brave, iA Writer, Affinity Photo 2, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio Code, Grammarly, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Workspace, Discord, ImageGlass 9, and Greenshot. The author found that some apps were available in native Arm versions, while others needed to be run in emulation. The final tally was 8 apps running natively in Arm, 7 apps running well in emulation, and 1 app that did not work at all.

Winsage

June 21, 2024

Microsoft confirmed release dates for native ARM64 Adobe Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects for Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops

Adobe Premiere Pro can now run through emulation on Windows on Arm PCs, but it will soon have a native Arm version.