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Windows on Arm

Windows has traditionally run on machines that are powered by x86 / x64 processors, but more recently, also runs on devices powered by Arm processors.

Arm-powered devices are particularly interesting because the power-frugal nature of the Arm architecture enables these devices to offer longer battery life while delivering great performance. Arm Systems on Chip (SoC) often include other key features such as a powerful CPU, GPU, Wi-Fi and mobile data networks, as well as Neural Processor Units (NPUs) for accelerating AI workloads.

Build Windows apps that run on Arm

Windows 10 enables existing unmodified x86 apps to run on Arm devices. Windows 11 adds the ability to run unmodified x64 Windows apps on Arm devices. This ability to run x86 and x64 apps on Arm devices gives end-users confidence that the majority of their existing apps and tools run well even on new Arm-powered devices.

For the best performance, responsiveness, and battery life, users will want and need Arm-native Windows apps, which means that developers will need to build or port Arm-native Windows apps.

Check whether an app is supported on Arm: Windows on Arm Ready Software. This site is your source for compatibility information for many apps and games on Windows devices that run on Arm architecture and is being actively maintained.

Virtual Machines

You can create and deploy Windows 11 Arm64 VMs with Ampere Altra Arm–based processors on Azure. Learn how in this Quickstart article.

Learn more about using Windows on Arm Virtual Machines:

Arm developer devices

Developers who want to build and test Arm-native apps on Windows have more options than ever.

  • Copilot+ PCs offer a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and the latest in AI features and computing capacity through a variety of device manufacturers. Many of these PCs use the Arm-based Snapdragon® X Series processor, which offers 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS).

  • Windows Dev Kit 2023 (code name "Project Volterra") is no longer available for purchase, but it remains a viable Arm-based device that supports Windows development, AI research, and testing for the integration of AI into apps and experiences.

Support for existing Windows apps on Arm

App Types graphic.

Windows on Arm runs native Arm apps, as well as many unmodified x86 and x64 apps. For the best performance and battery life, build apps to be Arm-native wherever possible. You can build Windows apps with many different tools and technologies, including native C/C++ Win32 apps, classic .NET Framework WinForms/WPF apps, modern .NET or MAUI apps, or even apps built with Java, Python, Node.js, and more.

Find tools for Arm development

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Microsoft continuously delivers Arm-native developer toolset updates to build and port apps that natively target Windows ARM-powered devices just as easily as when targeting x64. Supporting app development for Arm, on Arm.

Note

The term Arm is a shorthand for PCs that run the desktop version of Windows on Arm64 (also commonly called AArch64) processors. The term Arm32 is a shorthand for the 32-bit Arm architecture (commonly called Arm in other documentation). PCs powered by Arm provide great application compatibility and allow you to run your existing unmodified x86 win32 applications. Arm apps run natively without any emulation, while x86 and x64 apps run under emulation on Arm devices.

Arm64EC - Help for updating Windows apps to run on Arm

Arm64EC graphic.

Arm64EC ("Emulation Compatible") enables you to incrementally build new apps or port existing apps to take advantage of native Arm performance where possible, while utilizing existing x64 code and libraries until fully migrated. Learn more:

Additional tips for developing Windows apps that run on Arm devices

  • Use MSIX to package your app for distribution. For more information on how MSIX supports Arm and Arm64, see App package architectures: Arm and Arm64.

  • Not all Visual Studio projects are configured to launch projects locally when you start debugging (F5) from an Arm device. You might need to configure Visual Studio for remote debugging, even though your app is running locally. For more information, see remote debugging.

  • To find and install the recommended packages on Visual Studio, visit the Visual Studio downloads page.

    • For the Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2022, scroll below the All downloads section and expand the Tools for Visual Studio 2022 drop-down menu. Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2022 is listed there. Be sure to check the Arm64 radio button, then Download.
    • For the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, scroll below the All downloads section and expand the Other tools and Frameworks drop-down menu. Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2022 is listed there. Be sure to check the Arm64 radio button, then Download.
    • If you're using an older version of Visual Studio, select the Older Downloads link at the bottom of the page to search for the downloads associated with your version of Visual Studio.

  • When a user installs your app on an Arm device from the Microsoft Store, Windows 11 automatically selects the optimal version of your app that is available. If you submit x86, Arm32, and Arm64 versions of your app to the Microsoft Store, the operating system automatically installs the Arm64 version of your app. If you only submit x86 and Arm32 versions of your app, the operating system installs the Arm32 version. If you only submit the x86 version of your app, the operating system installs that version and runs it under emulation.

  • When given the choice of app architecture, choose the 32-bit x86 version to run the app's 32-bit version on a Windows on Arm PC. If an app's x64 Win32 version doesn't work, most apps have an x86 version available.

  • For more information about architectures, see App package architectures.

App Assure Arm Advisory Service

Our guidance to Add Arm support to your Windows app walks through how to create an Arm-optimized version of your apps. The App Assure Arm Advisory Service is available to help if you get stuck. This service is in addition to our existing promise: your apps run on Windows on Arm, and if you encounter any issues, Microsoft helps you remediate them. Learn more.

Sign up for Windows Arm Advisory Service.

Additional resources

External resources

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