Windows on Arm might look and feel exactly like regular Windows 11, but there are some catches.
Windows on Arm: What Is It?
Windows on Arm dates back to 2012, when Windows RT arrived alongside the original Microsoft Surface tablet.
Microsoft laterrevealed Windows 10 on Arm in 2017, which took some lessons from the failure of Windows RT.
Microsoftstarted testing 64-bit x86 emulation in 2020, allowing 64-bit Arm PCs to run even more non-Arm software.
That functionalityeventually arrivedin 2021, but only for Arm PCs updated to Windows 11.
Windows on Arm can also run as a virtual machine on some other Arm-based computers.
Then grab the “System” menu and click “About”.
The gadget Specifications section in the tweaks page will tell you what kind of computer you have.
If you see “Arm-based Processor,” your PC is running Windows on Arm.
you could also check from the System Information panel in Windows.
This will bring up the System Information software.
The main System Summary page will show what key in of computer you have.
The benefits and disadvantages of Windows on Atm are more about the specific chip being used in the computer.
The main difference with Windows on Arm is software compatibility.
Most Windows applications and games are primarily compiled for x86 processors, not Arm processors.
There’s also some Windows software that can’t run through the compatibility layer, like hardware drivers.
Do X86 Applications Work in Windows on Arm?
Windows 11 on Arm has a built-in compatibility layer for running 32-bit and 64-bit x86 Windows applications.
However, it’s not a perfect solution, especially compared toRosetta 2 on Apple Silicon Mac computers.
The compatibility layer also can’t work for hardware drivers or low-level system components.
Hardware drivers and applications that rely on File Explorer extensions also won’t work unless they add Arm support.
Even with those limitations, the compatibility layer is impressive.
However, some other software may still be able to run in the compatibility layer without official support.
Should you get an Arm PC with Windows?
The current batch of Arm Windows PCs with Qualcomm chips also aren’t that impressive in the performance department.
Google Chromefinally added native Arm Windows support, at least.
