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Windows on ARM

Comments discuss the existence, performance, app compatibility via emulation, and overall viability of Windows running on ARM processors, often comparing it to Apple Silicon and x86 backward compatibility challenges.

📉 Falling 0.4x Hardware
3,398
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19
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#2658
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

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Top Contributors

pjmlp (49) rbanffy (48) my123 (36) GeekyBear (28) goosedragons (21)

Keywords

RT MS HAL CPU SPARC HN NET ARM ALPHA NT arm windows x86 microsoft emulation apps compatibility rt run apple

Sample Comments

zozbot234 • Feb 16, 2020 • View on HN

Windows can run natively on ARM.

duaneb • Feb 4, 2013 • View on HN

Windows runs on ARM too. Not sure any of the apps are worth emulating though.

shortrounddev2 • Oct 23, 2024 • View on HN

Windows runs on ARM, they have ARM based surfaces now

lostlogin • Jun 22, 2020 • View on HN

And strange - Windows already runs on ARM doesn’t it?

eviks • Jun 10, 2025 • View on HN

Is Windows arm also not suitable?

icedchai • Feb 3, 2023 • View on HN

You know you can still run Windows for ARM, right?

gtirloni • Nov 30, 2020 • View on HN

At least for #2, see Windows ARMhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/arm/

klondike_ • Apr 15, 2021 • View on HN

Microsoft is working on Windows for ARM (not to be confused with the incompatible and obsolete Windows RT). However the performance isn't quite there yet

WithinReason • Jan 18, 2022 • View on HN

Wonder if Windows on ARM will be any help there

selfhoster11 • Jun 15, 2021 • View on HN

Windows ARM has an emulation layer for x86 binaries