Windows on Arm Continues to Thrive in Its Latest Year

In 2024, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips finally made Arm-based Windows laptops a serious contender. Unlike earlier Arm laptops that struggled to run Windows smoothly, this new generation delivered impressive performance and outstanding battery life, particularly showcased in Microsoft’s Surface Laptop and Surface Pro models. However, app compatibility remained a significant challenge for running Windows on Arm. For instance, I had to settle for the limited Adobe Lightroom app instead of the full Lightroom Classic, which was a letdown. Gaming, a major advantage of Windows over Apple’s Macs, was nearly impossible.

By 2025, a steady stream of software updates has significantly improved the situation. Many creative applications that were previously unavailable on Windows for Arm now have native versions or can run through Prism emulation. Adobe Premiere Pro now runs natively, and I found that Lightroom Classic, while emulated, performs adequately for light edits even on the lower-end Snapdragon X Plus chips.

The gaming landscape has also improved, thanks to enhancements in emulators that now support x86 Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) and AVX2. Qualcomm has introduced a dedicated Snapdragon Control Panel for timely graphics driver updates, similar to what Nvidia, AMD, and Intel offer. Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat, used in games like Fortnite, is now functional on Windows for Arm. Additionally, the Xbox game launcher has been updated to support local game installations on Arm devices, moving beyond just cloud streaming.

At this point, I confidently recommend a Windows on Arm laptop to friends and family, provided they don’t need specific software like Ableton Live, which isn’t compatible yet (though an Arm version is expected in 2026). If gaming is their main focus, they might be better off with options like Asus ROG or Lenovo Legion. I even encouraged my sister to grab the 13-inch Surface Laptop when it was on sale for $550 during Black Friday. It’s an incredible deal, and I’m sure it’ll be the quietest, most portable, and longest-lasting laptop she’s owned.

Even for those not upgrading from a decade-old laptop, the first generation of Snapdragon X chips offers battery life and standby times that were once unimaginable for Windows laptops, especially after a few rough Intel processor generations. However, Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Strix Point chips launched shortly after, providing competitive performance and nearly equivalent battery life, which took some momentum away from Qualcomm.

Intel and AMD have shown that the x86 architecture still has plenty of life left. With anticipation building for the 2026 showdown between Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2, Intel’s Panther Lake, and AMD’s rumored “Gorgon Point,” we could be in for an intense competition. Things could heat up even more if Nvidia decides to join the battle.

Rumors and leaked benchmarks suggest Nvidia is developing a new Arm-based chip for an upcoming Alienware laptop, alongside its x86 projects with Intel. The collaboration between Nvidia and Alienware hints at an Arm chip focused on graphics, similar to AMD’s impressive Strix Halo on the x86 side. The integrated GPUs on current Snapdragon chips aren’t powerful enough for modern games at high settings, and Arm chips currently lack support for discrete GPUs. An Arm chip featuring Nvidia graphics could be a game-changer for gamers.

Windows on Arm had a solid year, with the gap between x86 and Arm Windows laptops narrowing, and it’s set to close even further in 2026. Arm laptops are becoming easier to recommend to a broader audience, although x86 will likely remain the superior choice for gaming in the near future.

Looking ahead to 2026, new challenges await: not only from Intel and AMD’s latest chips but also from a resurgent Linux, which has also had a strong year. As Microsoft evolves Windows into an “agentic OS,” packed with more semi-functional AI features, it risks alienating users who may seek alternatives. The question in 2026 might shift from “Should you buy a Windows on Arm laptop?” to “Should you buy a Windows laptop at all?”