Microsoft has recently shared an insightful blog post outlining the significant strides made in enhancing app support for Windows 11 on Arm, particularly with natively compiled applications. According to the tech giant, a remarkable 90% of user engagement on Arm-based PCs is now dedicated to these natively compiled apps, marking a substantial evolution from previous years.
Expanding Ecosystem
Mike Adams, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of customer experience engineering, emphasized the ongoing growth of the Arm app ecosystem, stating, “The Arm app ecosystem continues to expand, with native Arm versions available for apps representing 90% of total user minutes, thus providing efficient, high-performance experiences across the scenarios that matter most to our customers.”
The collaboration with Qualcomm, particularly through the Snapdragon X series of PC chips launched in May of last year, has been pivotal. Major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have embraced this technology, leading to the introduction of new Arm-based PCs that promise performance and efficiency capable of rivaling Apple Silicon.
Adobe stands out among the app developers taking Windows on Arm seriously, with flagship applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Audacity now available in native formats, albeit in preview for some. This shift signifies a broader commitment to optimizing software for the Arm architecture.
Highlighted Applications
Microsoft has curated a list of notable applications that are now natively compiled for Windows on Arm PCs, showcasing the diversity and capability of the platform:
- 7 Zip
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Trello
- Todoist
- Libre Office
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Camtasia
- Paint.NET
- Djay Pro
- CapCut
- Figma
- Apple TV
- Apple Music
- Google Chrome
- Telegram
- Spotify
- Davinci Resolve
- Blender
- Luminar Neo
- Microsoft Office
The progress made in the Windows on Arm platform over the past year is evident. Users opting for Arm-based Windows PCs can expect a seamless experience, with most applications now optimized for this architecture. For those few applications still reliant on emulation, the current generation of Snapdragon X processors delivers sufficient power, ensuring that performance remains robust, particularly with the PRISM emulation engine adeptly handling x86 applications, with gaming being the primary exception.
This flourishing app ecosystem sets a promising foundation for the anticipated launch of Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon PC chips, likely to be named Snapdragon X2, which are expected to offer even greater performance and efficiency.