For years, Microsoft floundered in its efforts to push Windows on Arm-based PCs as an alternative to Intel’s and AMD’s x86-based hegemony. (The two big hurdles were a lack of broad app compatibility, and disappointing CPU performance.) Those with long memories may recall that the Windows on Arm project started more than 10 years ago with the ill-fated Windows RT on Microsoft’s first two Surface devices, which were tepidly received, to say the least. Windows on Arm made later cameos in the much-improved (but ultimately disappointing) Surface Pro X tablets from 2019 and 2020, and in a minor dusting of machines from the likes of Lenovo and Samsung. All had little impact. Microsoft’s latest attempt is its big 2024 push for what it calls “Copilot+ PCs”—the first wave of them powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X family of chips. When Microsoft recently introduced these Snapdragon X Copilot+ PCs to great fanfare, it ignited our hopes of finally getting on Windows that sweet battery life and fast performance that Arm-based Apple Silicon MacBooks have enjoyed for a few years.Our hopes rose further when the company claimed that apps comprising 90% of everyday PC use have been compiled specially for Windows on Arm and, therefore, run smoothly and fast. Those include apps like the crucial Google Chrome browser, the seminal Adobe Photoshop, and, as you’d expect, Microsoft’s Office suite. You can view a wide list of Snapdragon X-optimized programs on Qualcomm’s website. It includes many more popular Windows applications.
A partial sampling of key apps now optimized for Arm (Credit: Qualcomm)
But you’ll find many other Windows apps that aren’t on that list. Not to worry: This spring, when Microsoft launched the Copilot+ PC project (with most of the major Windows PC makers behind it), it announced Windows’ new Arm emulator, Prism. The claim: “Your apps run great, whether native or emulated.” Enter PCMag to test that claim (which we’ve heard before from Microsoft). To be fair, Microsoft provides this disclaimer in its documentation: “Note that emulation only supports user mode code and does not support drivers; any kernel mode components must be compiled as Arm64.” That would seem to rule out tools like antivirus and VPNs, some of which we, indeed, were unable to use successfully on our test laptop. To figure out the lay of the land, we put on our metaphorical lab coats and got to work. Testing Prism: The First Wave of Snapdragon X We fired up one of the first Copilot+ PCs we received, an HP EliteBook Ultra 14 G1q, powered by a Snapdragon Elite X CPU, for some impromptu app-compatibility testing. First off: We have to emphasize the anecdotal nature of these tests: There are thousands of apps we could have tried. We tested 31; we could have tested 310, and it would still just be a representative sample. What we picked are some of our fast favorites in categories such as security software, productivity apps, and content creation. (We didn’t get into gaming here: More about that at the end of this article.)
Our HP EliteBook test machine, equipped with Snapdragon X Elite (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
We attempted to install and run 30-plus apps missing from Qualcomm’s list of ready-for-Arm apps to try out the new Prism emulation. In a table further down this article, we’ve collected our results. Below that, we have more information about each of these apps and our experiences getting them to work under emulation. We didn’t include any of the apps on Qualcomm’s list of those optimized for Arm and Snapdragon X, since we’re trying to test the Prism emulation specifically. We also didn’t test all those thousands of drivers for printers and other devices you may have—a sheer impossibility. But fear not: The included default Windows device drivers should do the trick, in many cases. For example, we were able to find, install, and use an Epson XP-6100 printer on a Snapdragon-powered Surface Laptop in seconds using Windows’ own printer drivers. That’s well and good, but you’ll want to check support forums for any peripherals you own, such as printers or scanners, to suss out the Windows on Arm compatibility situation before opting for one of these Snapdragon X-based systems. It makes sense that a totally different CPU architecture requires new drivers. But until the hardware makers develop those for Windows on Arm, proceed with caution on this new flavor of PCs if you rely on specific driver functionality for any of your peripherals. (Or at least buy from a seller with a liberal return policy.)The 31 Apps: See How They Run (Or Not)Let’s get down to the apps one by one and detail how they ran. We checked the Windows Task Manager to tell if each app was running in emulation or natively with Arm64, discounting any of the latter. (Task Manager has a tab that shows you which instruction set each app is using; if it is native, it will say Arm64, in this case.) The two other architectures that appeared here are x64 and x86, which appear when Prism is emulating those traditional instruction sets to run those programs.When an app did not run the first time, we typically tried relaunching it a couple more times. If that didn’t work, we went into the program’s Properties tab in Windows and tweaked the emulation settings to see if we could get the app to run. When we ran into trouble with an app, in some cases we also tried it on a Snapdragon X Elite-equipped 2024 Surface Laptop. In no cases did using that different machine make a difference.
Tinkering with emulation settings in CapCut (Credit: PCMag/CapCut)
Here’s a summary scorecard of the 31 apps we tried. Following the big table are breakouts with more detail of our experiences with each app on the Snapdragon system.
1PasswordTop-rated password management app1Password, which PCMag recently ranked as the best password manager for new users, ran well under Prism. It launched without any issues, and it allowed us to generate new passwords, import existing passwords by connecting to iCloud, and upload CSV files. (There were other options for password-file uploads, but CSV is the method we tested after connecting to iCloud.)ACDSeePhoto editor for novices; alternative to Adobe Photoshop and IllustratorACDSee, the budget-friendly photo editing program, ran smoothly in emulation mode, allowing us to launch the program and edit photos without problems.Adobe Acrobat ReaderThe seminal free PDF utilityAdobe apps that aren’t on the “optimized” list linked above were largely hit or miss with our testing. Adobe Acrobat Reader (the free program, not the full-featured Pro editor and PDF manipulator) was a hit. It installed and ran in emulation mode without a hitch.Adobe IllustratorThe popular graphics design toolIllustrator was a nonstarter. Attempting to download the software returned an error message that the program could not install. Adobe’s website says the application will be available in July 2024 for Arm-based Windows devices.Adobe InDesignKey program for publication designAdobe InDesign, a seminal application for formatting books, magazines, and newspapers, is currently unavailable on Snapdragon X-based Copilot+ devices. We were unable to install it and got the same error that we did when trying to install Adobe Illustrator. Adobe’s website says this application is also coming in July 2024.Adobe Photoshop ElementsBudget-friendly counterpart of Adobe PhotoshopAdobe Photoshop Elements suffered the same fate as Premiere Elements below. The HP Snapdragon X laptop allowed us to install it, but the program returned the same error when we attempted to launch it. The program says the app needs to be removed and reinstalled. (We did so, to no avail.)Adobe Photoshop ExpressThe free version of PhotoshopThough the paid Adobe Photoshop Elements software didn’t work on our HP CoPilot+ PC, its free equivalent did. Photoshop Express not only launched on our HP EliteBook, but it also allowed us to edit photos with no issues in a brief trial run through the program.Adobe Premiere ElementsThe biggest of the budget video editorsUnlike the Pro version below, Adobe Premiere Elements, the consumer-friendly version of Premiere Pro, successfully installed but wouldn’t launch. It gave us an error message saying we needed to remove and reinstall the program, which we did. The outcome was the same: no go.Adobe Premiere ProIndustry-standard video editing softwareAdobe Premiere Pro is currently unavailable for Windows on Arm technology. Unlike some of the applications tested that were installed but failed to launch, Premiere Pro wouldn’t let us install it at all. When we tried to install it, it kicked back the following error: “There was a problem installing Premiere Pro. Premiere Pro is not yet available for your device.”Amazon MusicPopular music streaming service Amazon’s music streaming service, Amazon Music, worked seamlessly with our system. It installed, launched, and played music with no issues. Task Manager showed the architecture as x86.AvastVenerable antivirus appThis 29-year-old program caused more issues than the rest of the apps we tested on the platform. Avast could not be installed and gave the following warning message: “This app can’t run because it causes security or performance issues on Windows. A New Version may be available. [At the time of this writing, there wasn’t one.] Check with your software provider for an updated version that runs on this version of Windows.” Additionally, when we tried to launch this app, the device lost its wireless internet connection and had to be restarted to regain internet access. We attempted this several times and lost the connection every time.BitwardenOur 5-star-rated password managerWe are big fans of Bitwarden, and the program gave us no issues. It allowed us to generate passwords, share links to those passwords, and do everything that we tried as intended. CapCutBasic video editor that’s freeCapcut, which PCMag previously ranked as the best free mobile video editing app, installed and worked as expected on a Surface Laptop with a Snapdragon X Elite processor. Task Manager reported it as running in emulation mode.Corel PainterClassic illustration tool for pen-based artistsThis app is an alternative to painting apps like FreshPaint or the in-house software on Surface Pro and Surface Studio devices. It facilitates digital art-making through touch-screen and stylus support. The app launched but would not progress past the splash screen.DxO PureRAWState-of-the-art raw image optimizerA photo app that optimizes raw camera files by reducing noise and recovering image details, DxO PureRAW installed and processed images normally. However, anecdotally speaking, doing the latter took much longer than on Intel- and AMD-based PCs.FeedLabNifty news-aggregation appIf you are looking to pull together your news sources in one UI on your new Snapdragon X-powered machine, you can do so with minimal problems using FeedLab. FeedLab allowed us to access most news articles. We did experience a minor hiccup when trying to access Google News within FeedLab—it would not open articles from Google News unless we clicked Change View and then Website View. This was one of just a few cases where we could use most of the features but still encountered issues. The program reported x64 architecture in Task Manager.FreshPaintMicrosoft painting applicationFreshPaint, one of Redmond’s own, installed without incident and worked smoothly in emulation mode. Task Manager showed the architecture as x86.FusedAnother alternative photo editor, focused on double exposuresFused works, but with limited functionality. It allows you to add a picture and set it as a “background,” but according to our tests, that’s where its functionality ends. All the features appear to be present, but nothing happens if you click on any of the buttons. Task Manager reported the architecture as x64.Google Drive for DesktopDesktop version of the ubiquitous cloud storage serviceWhile Google Drive, the cloud application, was perfectly accessible in-browser on our test machine, we could not install the desktop version. We received the following error message when we attempted to do so: “This Windows architecture is not supported.”
(Credit: PCMag/Google)
Google Earth ProDesktop version of the ubiquitous planetary visualizerGoogle Earth’s desktop application crashed at launch on the first try. However, after relaunching it, the program opened and ran without other problems. It also presented no problems on a second Snapdragon X Arm-based PC we tried. Earth Pro could present locations in aerial and street view with minimal issues.LDPlayerThe popular Android-game emulatorLDPlayer, itself an emulator (it allows PC users to play Android games on their computers), did not work during testing. The message it kicked back: “This app can’t run on this device. This app can’t run because it causes security or performance issues on Windows. A new version may be available. Check with your software provider for an updated version that runs on this version of Windows.”NordVPNVPN and privacy juggernautOften called the most popular VPN in the US, NordVPN failed to launch during our tests with the Snapdragon X HP Elitebook. In a statement to Android Authority, Nord said, “We are building an Arm-native NordVPN application, and the launching process is in the final stages. We are now in close cooperation with Microsoft to receive a driver signing certificate. We expect to release the application in the near future.”
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OpenIVPopular game-modding utilityOpenIV, famous within the Grand Theft Auto modding community for editing vehicles, clothing, and map textures, installed and launched without any problems. (Note: We tooled around extensively in the program, but we did not attempt to edit any textures.)Pinnacle StudioProsumer video editing alternativePinnacle Studio, a popular video-editing software app, would not install. We tried installing both the trial and the full version, but neither would play ball. The application incorrectly reported that we were running a 32-bit system.Proton VPNOur top-scoring VPN applicationProton VPN started with promising results: Unlike NordVPN, it launched. However, that was the only positive. Upon attempting to connect to a VPN network, the application froze up and never connected. This happened every time we tried connecting.SomaFMAd-free streaming service for curated underground/alternative music SomaFM, an internet radio streaming app focused on music discovery and hidden gems, gave us no issues and worked seamlessly with our system. Task Manager showed the architecture as x64.Sublime TextSophisticated text editor for codersSublime Text, a text editor that allows you to open a split-screen view of your code, ran smoothly on the Snapdragon X-based Elitebook. It installed and launched without issues, allowing us to edit some basic code, save a file, and relaunch the program without problems.TelegramEncrypted messaging stalwartTelegram, the encrypted-messaging application, gave us no issues. It launched without incident, after which we were able to sign in and send messages. It ran smoothly in emulation mode, with no apparent hiccups.Topaz DeNoise AIPopular image cleaner-upperTopaz DeNoise AI, the photo and video editing software, launched, but before jumping into the actual UI, it warned us, “Your CPU must support AVX instructions to install this program.” While it did launch, you may encounter performance issues using it on Snapdragon-based Copilot+ PC devices due to the lack of AVX support. Topaz support notes that it is working an Arm version of its software, and some community members have noted the app runs in emulation, but slowly.TuneInPodcast/news/music streaming appTuneIn, the streaming app that allows you to listen to your favorite newscasts or TV programs without having a cable TV subscription, installed and launched with minimal issues. However, the UI immediately required an update to fit the laptop’s screen size properly. After the update, it ran smoothly, and it was able to stream every channel we tested.Wondershare FilmoraEffects-rich video editorWondershare Filmora, ranked by PCMag as the best mobile video editing app for stickers and emoji usage, returned stable results in a brief trial. Wondershare launched, and we were able to edit video with effects and perform exports. We installed the app from the Microsoft Store.Initial Observations, and Some Notes on GamingAs you can see, our experience was not exactly hiccup-free, not quite the rosy picture that Microsoft paints for apps not optimized explicitly for Arm64. Many of the apps we tested would not install, and a few that did wouldn’t work correctly after installation.We did note a bunch of bright spots, though. ACDSee, a venerable photo editing app, worked fully in emulation mode, as did some other image editing apps. Adobe’s Elements enthusiast creative apps—Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements—were disappointments in the creative category, but InDesign and Illustrator should be coming as native soon, and Photoshop Express worked.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The most critical gap here (besides the antivirus and VPN software we tried) is Google Drive. If you rely on the Google Drive desktop software (which lets you work from within Windows File Explorer, rather than just in the web interface), you should probably steer clear of an Arm-based PC for now.This is all before even considering the vast field of PC games. Though games are not the focus of this article (and Snapdragon X PCs aren’t pushed as, or built to be, proper gaming PCs), we tried installing two ultra-popular titles that had reported known issues early on—Fortnite and PUBG—plus the venerable AAA game Rocket League. Indeed, only Rocket League installed and ran successfully.On the upside, separately we’ve been conducting extended testing on the integrated Adreno graphics for Snapdragon X Elite, using a list of eight AAA titles, all of which have launched and run successfully: We ditched a ninth game that didn’t work properly, Returnal, early on in our trials. Watch for that gaming-focused story to follow this one.Verdict: So Far, Prism Proves Promising But IncompleteThe bottom line? If you can get by with the big-name apps optimized for Arm processors, cited on Qualcomm’s summary page, you will likely be satisfied with how an Arm-based Copilot+ PC meets your daily needs. Those apps do run quickly and reliably. But if you need to run lesser-known and more specialized apps, particular hardware drivers, or certain VPN and antivirus programs, you still, unfortunately, may have to wait. At the very least, if in doubt, you’ll want to check the support sites for any “must run” software you have to see what the Arm compatibility situation looks like at the moment. Remember: Our testing is just a snapshot in time.If you’re dead-set on buying a Copilot+ PC, the wait shouldn’t be long for better software compatibility, regardless of whether the Windows on Arm Prism emulation improves: x86-based Copilot+ PCs packing AMD and Intel chips are due to land before the end of the year. Once those arrive, it’s a different ballgame. Snapdragon X systems will have to compete with these x86 rivals without the special advantage of Copilot+ feature exclusivity. (Not up to speed on Copilot+? We’ve got lots more about the Copilot+ feature set in our deep dive review of the Snapdragon X-based Surface Laptop 2024.) That said, with Microsoft’s renewed emphasis on the Windows on Arm platform, we’re seeing way more such systems on the market than ever before: Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and others are on board with Snapdragon X Arm systems right now. As a result, expect more apps to support it down the road, and for Prism emulation to get better all the time. For now, though, just make sure that, software-wise, what you simply can’t live without is on the optimized list, or look for support-forum guidance before diving in.
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