Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processors have emerged as the fastest ARM-based chips for Windows laptops, marking a significant milestone in the competition with Intel and AMD. This advancement has opened new avenues for ARM-powered PCs, making them viable alternatives in the market. However, the transition to ARM architecture is not without its challenges, particularly due to the predominance of x86 applications in the PC ecosystem.
Prism Emulator Enhancements
To address this compatibility issue, Microsoft has introduced an emulator named Prism, designed to facilitate the execution of x86 applications on Windows PCs. Early reviews indicate that while results may vary, the overall user experience has improved notably compared to previous iterations of Qualcomm processors. Recently, Microsoft unveiled a preview update for Prism, aimed at enhancing performance by incorporating support for additional CPU features during emulation.
Prism effectively simulates a virtual x86 CPU, allowing software that is not natively compatible with ARM to function seamlessly. The latest version of Prism expands its capabilities by adding support for several extensions to the x86 instruction set, including AVX, AVX2, BMI, FMA, and F16C. This enhancement is particularly significant given that an increasing number of PC games rely on AVX2, potentially broadening game compatibility for devices powered by Snapdragon X chips.
Microsoft has confirmed that the updated version of Prism is now accessible in Windows 11 24H2, enabling users to run applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro 25 on ARM-based PCs. Furthermore, with the introduction of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27744 on the Canary Channel, the new Prism version is compatible with any 64-bit x86 application. This development allows previously blocked games and creative applications to operate on ARM processors, thereby enriching the software landscape for users.
While the new version of Prism is currently available to members of the Windows Insider program testing pre-release builds, details regarding its broader release timeline remain undisclosed. As the landscape of computing continues to evolve, these advancements signal a promising future for ARM-based Windows laptops.
