Over the years, the Raspberry Pi series has evolved significantly, transforming into versatile systems capable of handling a variety of tasks, provided they are paired with the right operating systems. However, the integration of Windows has remained elusive for Raspberry Pi enthusiasts, often requiring convoluted workarounds to experience Microsoft’s flagship OS on this popular ARM-based single-board computer (SBC) family.
In a recent endeavor, I sought to challenge this limitation by exploring a novel approach to running Windows 11 on the Raspberry Pi 5. After a previous attempt that proved to be a lengthy and arduous process, I decided to experiment with a more unconventional method: running Windows 11 within a container.
Runtipi serves as the beacon of light in this project
A few weeks ago, I discovered Runtipi, a platform designed to deploy containers on existing operating systems. Unlike other containerization tools for the Raspberry Pi, which often require dedicating an entire microSD card, Runtipi allows for greater flexibility. Intrigued, I began to explore its capabilities and soon found the most captivating option: a container that could run Windows 11 using KVM technology, akin to a virtual machine.
With my Raspberry Pi 5 equipped with 8GB of memory and a quad-core processor, I initiated the installation process, assigning 4 CPU cores, 4GB of memory, and 32GB of storage to the Windows container. After enabling port number 8006 for remote access, I eagerly awaited the installation, which took approximately 23 minutes to download the necessary files, followed by another 15-20 minutes for the installation itself. Finally, I was greeted by the familiar Windows 11 desktop, albeit with some noticeable differences.
The performance wasn’t the very best
Upon booting up the container, the limitations of the setup quickly became apparent. The display resolution was capped at 800×600, a stark contrast to my usual 4K experience. The user interface, while functional, lacked responsiveness. Nevertheless, I pressed on, installing the Brave browser and opening multiple tabs without significant performance degradation. Applications like Powertoys and Darktable exhibited varying degrees of usability, with the latter proving challenging due to the aspect ratio and resolution constraints.
To quantify the performance, I ran Geekbench 6 tests. The results indicated that single-core performance was comparable to a standard Raspberry Pi OS setup, while multi-core performance lagged behind. The following table summarizes the findings:
| Raspberry Pi OS | Windows inside Runtipi | |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 751 | 742 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 1539 | 1167 |
In a final test of the container’s capabilities, I attempted to run PC games, including Steam and the lightweight title Genosia. While the games launched, the experience was marred by long load times and the same resolution issues encountered with other applications. Ultimately, the system struggled to run even basic games smoothly.
Should you attempt this weird project at home?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Unlike the traditional bare-metal installation of Windows 11, this containerized approach simplifies the process significantly. Users can allocate resources through the Runtipi web interface and start the container with ease. For those willing to use a command-line interface distribution, such as DietPi, the potential for enhanced performance increases, especially with the 16GB model of the SBC. If you seek to run lightweight applications unavailable on Linux, this containerized version of Windows 11 may indeed be the most straightforward solution for your Raspberry Pi.
