Windows on ARM has a lot to give to its users - better speed, longer battery, and efficiency to kill for. But it slightly lacks in one department - app compatibility.
Tech freaks obsessed with ARM like to phrase it as ‘an attempt to modernise computing’, but we all know they’re just trying to cover a flaw. A fatal one, to be honest, because what if your favourite software doesn’t work on your new ARM laptop? It’s a make-or-break factor in deciding whether you should buy an ARM laptop or stick to your traditional x86 or x64.
Navigating this entire app compatibility on ARM issue can be exhausting. And that’s why we’re here with all the details, potential pitfalls, and solutions.
Understanding Windows on ARM App Compatibility
Windows on ARM is different from traditional Windows mainly because of the processor architecture. When compared to the x86 and x64 architectures, ARM brings forward a more modern hardware shift. This helps increase the efficiency of a pretty wide range of desktop software. That said, this change in processor architecture also affects how different applications perform on different laptop systems.
The software for ARM is divided into two kinds: those built natively for ARM and those that are non-native. Unlike non-natives, native apps are built specifically for ARM laptops (the coding is effortlessly understandable). Since these apps communicate directly with the hardware, there’s better responsiveness, with minimal to no time delay. This, in turn, promotes superb compatibility.
Non-native apps are basically x86 and x64 compatible originally. The coding of those apps is not easily understandable by the ARM systems, which is why a layer of translation (emulation) is added in the process of app communication. Emulation translates the functions as they occur, but this can cause a time delay. The x86 native apps are comparatively more compatible than the x64 apps. This is because x64 apps have a high dependency level, needing advanced CPU instructions.
Commonly Used Compatible Programs
Not all apps behave the same on Windows on ARM. Below, we’ve mentioned a compatibility overview showing which apps work on ARM.
Productivity-Related & Office Apps
ARM offers next-level support for everyday productivity apps, especially for the native ARM64 builds. The full Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams) runs natively on ARM. Similarly, Microsoft Edge is also compatible with ARM, meaning it runs just fine. For communication, you can use tools like Zoom and Slack. Some versions of WhatsApp Desktop and Telegram also run on ARM.
Web Browsers & Everyday Apps
You’ll find a pretty long list of web browsers that run natively on the ARM platform. For starters, there are Edge, Chrome, and Opera alongside Firefox and Brave. All these software deliver top-notch responsiveness with a battery efficiency to die for. Then we’ve got everyday utilities like Netflix, Prime, Dropbox, and Spotify, which are either native or use emulation. Other apps like Microsoft To Do, Adobe Acrobat, and Notion also work pretty smoothly with Prism emulation.
Creative & Professional Software
Even though Windows on ARM isn’t the best for creatives and professionals, there are still some software that can save the day. Starting with the native ones. You can count on Adobe Creative Cloud apps (Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator), Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and even Blender for running smoothly. However, apps like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder rely on emulation. DaVinci Resolve is partly native and partly emulated; at least the speed’s going to be better than the completely emulated apps.
Gaming Softwares
Just like creative software, it’s also not recommended to opt for Windows on ARM for high-profile gaming. While a lot of apps require emulation, there are a few that will keep you occupied without any lag. So, Minecraft (Bedrock Edition) is native. There are also Xbox Game Passes for some titles and certain UWP (Microsoft Store) games that run natively on ARM. For Fortnite and Epic Games Store titles, you’ll have to rely on emulation, which means shitty game quality.
Apps Incompatible With Windows on ARM
While Windows on ARM has gone the extra mile to make applications compatible with its system, some software is still incompatible. If you’re a gamer, tough luck, because most games will not work on a Windows on ARM laptop. For starters, you can say goodbye to Fortnite, Age of Empires II, and Doom Eternal.
Games like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Starship Troopers (Extermination) are also incompatible. And not just games, but tools like Corsair iCUE, Core Temp, and RPCS3 are not supported (as per the official website of Windows on ARM).
Creative professionals also face such limitations, though not to the same extreme extent as gamers. Apps like Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe AfterEffects, Neural DSP Archetype, and Live 12 are not compatible with ARM systems. The same goes for enterprise tools. If we have to name a few everyday office apps, they’d be iPrint&Scan, NordPass, Google Workspace Sync, and Yealink USB Connect.
Now, the good part is that this app incompatibility issue is most likely temporary. How can we say this? Well, it’s common news that developers have started working on ARM versions of incompatible apps. This means not all, but most of the incompatible apps on the official Windows on ARM site will either work natively on ARM laptops.
For the apps that are not being redeveloped, they are at least going to be tweaked if the developers want to stay relevant in the market. A little tweaking in the apps to make them x86 emulated will allow them to run on ARM laptops, which is a win-win situation for all parties. Now, for apps that are a part of productivity suites, like Google Workspace Sync, we’ve honestly got no news as of yet. But web and cloud-based alternatives to these suites exist. This means they’re not really a major disruption.
Conclusion
Windows on ARM offers a promising mix of portability and battery efficiency - that’s for sure. There’s modernism as well. But when it comes to app compatibility, things can get a little tricky. Native ARM apps deliver the best performance. But you might get disappointed in the departments of creativity and gaming.
Other than that, ARM gels well with everything. Be it productivity or everyday utilities, there’s an app for everything. Yet, if you’re about to buy an ARM laptop, our genuine advice would be to look at the compatibility list beforehand.
