Why Windows on Arm is Gaining Momentum
Windows on Arm has seen a recent surge in popularity, with users now spending over 90% of their time on native applications. This shift signals a major breakthrough, indicating that concerns about app compatibility are fading away.
One of the main obstacles to adopting Arm-based Windows PCs has been app compatibility issues. However, since the introduction of Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ devices, developer support has significantly improved. More than 100 popular Windows applications now have native Arm versions.
This enhanced support extends to essential tools like web browsers. For example, Arm-native Google Chrome offers a substantial performance boost, running more than three times faster than its emulated x86 version in benchmarks.
The growing ecosystem of native apps includes messaging software, creative tools, and entertainment apps. Developers have reported noticeable performance improvements on Arm hardware, with on-device AI response times seeing a significant boost.
Despite Arm’s optimism about the user experience, sales figures have not seen a significant increase. Both Arm and Intel have faced challenges in selling their respective PC chips, highlighting a broader industry trend.
While some compatibility gaps persist, recent enhancements to the x86 emulation layer ensure that even non-native apps run smoothly. The focus now shifts to improving gaming support on the Arm architecture, an area where Microsoft and Valve are working to make progress.
