The x64 emulator dedicated to Windows 10 ARM version has finally arrived
In an interview with the media a few days ago, Qualcomm said that Apple’s launch of the M1 chip is a tribute to Qualcomm because it is Qualcomm’s idea to use ARM processors on the desktop.
Of course, these remarks also caused a lot of ridicule, because Windows 10 ARM devices equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors not only have poor performance but also poor compatibility.
For example, such devices can only run UWP applications and 32-bit software through the simulator, but much important software is now only available in 64-bit versions and not 32-bit versions.
This is also the reason why this type of equipment has not attracted much attention from users many years after its launch. After all, who would buy a device with a poor overall experience after all?
In response to these more serious shortcomings, Microsoft has earlier promised to bring an x64 emulator, that is, through the emulator to run 64-bit desktop software on the ARM architecture.
The late arrival here does not mean that Microsoft’s development work is relatively slow. In fact, the development work this time is quite fast, at least much faster than we expected.
But this is still too slow for the Windows 10 ARM version that has been released for many years, which may be an important reason why such devices have not been landed for many years.
If 64-bit desktop software is not supported, users can only run UWP and 32-bit software. Obviously, this may cause a poor experience for most users.
Microsoft’s newly launched emulator is currently available in the Windows 10 development version. Of course, the current emulator has poor compatibility and needs to continue debugging.
The company said that users can now download 64-bit software in the Microsoft Store or elsewhere, and the system will automatically call the simulator to provide support for the software when it is running.
For example, the 64-bit version of Google Chrome can be run directly through the x64 emulator, or the 32-bit version can be downloaded to run through the x86 emulator, depending on the user’s choice.
But Microsoft recommends that users use the 64-bit version because running 64-bit through the emulator can provide more memory, so the performance of such software may be relatively better.
In addition, the current simulator version is only an early test version, so there may be more compatibility issues. Microsoft said it needs more time to adapt and improve.
It is worth noting that Microsoft also provides special Qualcomm graphics card drivers for some devices. After users install these graphics card drivers, the graphics performance will be better.