Windows on Arm has yet to catch on, despite years of effort by Microsoft. One of the biggest issues facing Arm-based processors in Windows has been application support, but one big issue has just opened up support for these processors.
Google Chrome has been at the center of the conversation about supporting Windows on Arm apps, but it appears that Google is preparing a native Arm version. The construction was launched late Thursday evening in the Nightly channel for Google Chrome, a developer channel that showcases cutting-edge features (and lots of bugs) for those who want to be on the cutting edge of what Google Chrome has to offer.
Microsoft offered a native version of its Edge browser for Arm-based PCs, but those who prefer Google Chrome were forced to run an emulated version with poor performance. It’s a big deal to see the native version of Chrome Chrome with respect to the browser holding about 65% of the market. This compares to only 5% market share for the Edge.
It’s monumental for Windows on Arm and a clear statement that Arm-based Windows PCs will soon become more popular. Qualcomm has already revealed its Snapdragon X Elite processors for Windows laptops, which are scheduled to be released this year. in addition, reports show that Nvidia and AMD are preparing Arm chips to be released next year.
Ever since Apple introduced its M-series chips, Windows on Arm momentum has only grown. Ever since Apple left Intel, it has used the Arm design for processors in Macs, which has demonstrated remarkable performance and battery life. The battery life part is especially important as we keep seeing Windows machines like this Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 which show great performance but poor battery life.
Given how many applications run in the browser, native support for Google Chrome on Arm makes the future of these new processors in Windows devices much brighter. Another big draw is Adobe, which currently only supports native versions of Lightroom and Photoshop on Arm. We expect to see more native versions of apps once Qualcomm’s chips hit laptops mid-year.