native version Archives

Winsage

December 9, 2025

Windows gets its own screen-powered “ring light” via a new app — and it already does more than Apple’s native version

Camo Streamlight is an application that enhances camera image quality by illuminating the screen, similar to macOS's "Edge Light" feature. It is free and includes a companion app, Camo Studio, which offers filters, adjustments, and auto-framing options for video calls on Windows. The app allows users to customize the illuminated area, brightness, and hue. Testing showed that Camo Streamlight effectively brightened images in dim environments and improved detail in well-lit settings, with performance varying based on display specifications, particularly benefiting users with larger HDR screens.

Winsage

November 29, 2025

Microsoft Teams Update Will Soon Fix Its Biggest Windows Problem

Microsoft is implementing a solution to address performance issues in Microsoft Teams on Windows, specifically targeting crashes and slowdowns. A new background process, ms-teams_modulehost.exe, will be added to the desktop version of Teams to manage call-related functions separately from the main application. This change aims to reduce system strain, decrease crash rates during meetings, and improve startup times. The strategy builds on the existing architecture of Teams, which uses WebView2, and seeks to offload complex features to enhance performance. Users have reported frequent freezes, delays, and high RAM usage with Teams. While this modular approach is intended to provide immediate improvements, some experts suggest that a complete redesign as a native Windows application would be a more effective long-term solution.

BetaBeacon

November 19, 2025

The first ‘official’ Android game spotted on Steam suggests you might not need to buy games twice to run them natively on the Steam Frame’s own chip

Valve's new VR headset, Steam Frame, can play games in various ways, including streaming PC VR games, emulating PC VR games on its own Arm-chip, or playing native Arm games in the form of .apk files. There is a possibility that if you purchase a game for your gaming PC, you may also be offered the .apk version for free to use on the Steam Frame. The addition of OpenXR support may make it easier to get virtual reality games working on different devices.

AppWizard

October 6, 2025

‘Enjoy Cronos on Steam, wherever you are!’: Bloober Team announces native Linux build for Cronos: The New Dawn

Cronos: The New Dawn has released a native Linux build, enhancing performance for users on Steam's handheld console. The game was initially Deck Verified at launch, but the new build removes the need for a compatibility layer for Linux players. There are over 42,000 games with Linux support on Steam, and more than 9,000 have achieved Deck Verified status. Linux usage among Steam players has increased to 2.68% as of the latest Steam Hardware Survey. However, challenges remain for games requiring kernel-level anti-cheat systems, with titles like Fortnite and Valorant unable to run on Linux.

Winsage

September 30, 2025

I tried running Windows apps on Linux with Wine, but virtualization is still better

In recent explorations of running Windows applications on Linux, various solutions were tested, including WinApps, WinBoat, and Wine. Wine translates Windows API calls into POSIX calls in real time, allowing for lower overhead and improved performance, particularly with older applications. Successful installations included Winaero Tweaker, portable versions of Photofiltre 7 and Textroom, and Adobe Photoshop CS6, which had minor visual glitches but functional core features. DoubleKiller effectively identified duplicate files on Linux. The gaming experience with the Windows version of Re-Volt was positive, while attempts to install Microsoft Office 2016 were unsuccessful without an activation key. Modern applications faced significant challenges; Wine struggled with Adobe Creative Cloud, Affinity Photo 2, and Microsoft 365, while WPS Office had installation issues. The Wine team noted that newer applications are less likely to succeed due to complex UIs. In contrast, WinApps provided better support for more applications, despite performance trade-offs. The author expressed a preference for WinApps for modern applications and highlighted the superiority of native Linux apps for seamless functionality.

AppWizard

September 25, 2025

This new Baldur’s Gate 3 update makes the game run way better on your Steam Deck

Baldur's Gate 3 has received a significant update, Hotfix 34, aimed at improving its performance on the Steam Deck. This update introduces a native version of the game, replacing the previously used Proton version, and includes enhancements such as reduced loading times, smoother gameplay, and increased frame rate stability. Players who accessed the game via Proton will not automatically switch to the native version and can refer to a detailed guide provided by Larian for the update process and troubleshooting. Despite being two years since its launch, Baldur's Gate 3 remains one of the top 10 most played games on Steam. The update was initiated by an engineer working on a smoother gameplay experience during personal time, which was later advanced for official release after testing by fellow developers.

Winsage

July 30, 2025

Adobe brings native Windows on Arm support to Premiere Pro, After Effects, and more — but not all features made it

Adobe has launched native ARM64 versions of its creative applications—Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder—for Windows on Arm devices, currently in public preview. However, these applications have certain limitations: - Premiere Pro will not support the Loudness Radar effect, Export to Wraptor DCP, Import and export of the GoPro CineForm codec, and Export to the P2 Movie format. - Audition lacks support for the GoPro CineForm codec and Loudness Radar effect. - Media Encoder will also not support the Loudness Radar effect, Export to Wraptor DCP, GoPro CineForm, and P2 Movie format. Future updates are expected to integrate support for third-party extensions, ProRes, and additional formats in these applications. After Effects currently has no listed unavailable features for its Arm-native version.

AppWizard

June 13, 2025

Steam beta gets native Apple Silicon support — the only public Arm version of Steam

Valve has released an update to its Steam Client Beta, optimized for Apple Silicon, eliminating the need for Rosetta 2. This update enhances performance for both the Steam Client and Steam Helper on Apple computers. The transition to a native version is timely as Apple is ending support for Rosetta 2 with the upcoming macOS 27. Valve confirmed that macOS Tahoe will be the last update for Intel Macs. Users can upgrade to the new Steam version (1749753892 or higher) by navigating to Steam > Preferences and selecting the Steam Beta Update option. The update can be verified in the Activity Monitor, where it should indicate Apple in the Kind column.

Winsage

March 24, 2025

Google Drive is now widely available on Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops

The Google Drive app is now fully available for users of Arm-powered PCs, including those with Snapdragon X chipsets. This native version allows seamless integration with Windows File Explorer, enabling users to sync and store files online easily. Additionally, Google has updated its Quick Share app for Windows to support Arm, although it is still a non-native application.

Winsage

March 21, 2025

Microsoft just fixed this Windows 11 bug, but I bet you wish it hadn’t

Microsoft addressed a bug that removed the Copilot feature from certain Windows 11 PCs, specifically affecting users of Windows 11 Build 26100.3476. The company has released an updated version of the Copilot app with improved performance and features. A support document confirmed that the issue has been resolved and users can restore the app from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft is planning a significant update for the Copilot app to provide a native version, and there is user feedback indicating a desire for more flexibility regarding the integration of Copilot, including the option to remove it entirely. Some users reported that Copilot reappears after uninstalling it following a Windows update.