Microsoft has confirmed that Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X (ARM) chips still have some limitations, but are these current limitations a major issue? Not anymore.
While Windows 11 24H2 makes a difference and Windows performance on ARM is now comparable to other chips, you might still encounter some limitations, including limited gaming.
In our testing, Windows Latest found that Copilot+ PCs deliver on expectations with faster performance and longer battery life. These Snapdragon PCs aren’t designed for gaming, but thousands of games have been tested and they manage to hit up to 30 frame rates in most conditions.
In a support document Spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has acknowledged five known limitations with Windows 11 on ARM (PC Copilot+). Compared to Windows 11 24H2, Windows 10 on ARM has more than seven limitations, but things have improved a lot in 2024.
Does this mean you can now use Windows Fan and Scan features on Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs? No. Windows 11 is not expected to support these features on ARM for several reasons, including technical limitations. The fan and scan features are tied to specific old drivers, features, and legacy software that are not optimized for ARM.
Therefore, Microsoft claims that it is not possible to use the feature on Windows ARM.
What else is broken? Drivers for some applications and games may not workWhile Windows on ARM can run anything through Prism emulation, you may not be able to use applications or games that rely on specific drivers not developed for Windows on ARM.
“If a driver doesn’t work, the application or hardware that relies on it won’t work either (at least not completely),” Microsoft warns in the support document.
As Windows previously reported, most devices and peripherals are running Windows 11 24H2 on ARM (PC Copilot+).
Games may not work if they are too old with specific driver requirements or incompatible anti-cheat
You also can’t play some games.
According to Microsoft’s document, it is not possible to play games if they rely on “anti-cheat” drivers that do not have an ARM version. If your favorite game does not work, you will have to contact the publisher.
You can use www.worksonwoa.com, which is a collaborative collection of ARM compatible games.
These anti-cheat games don’t work for the second reason: lack of driver support. While applications or games can be emulated, you can’t emulate drivers, and without drivers, anti-cheat games won’t work.
The third limitation of Windows on ARM Copilot+ PCs is the lack of support for apps that help customize Windows. Microsoft says that most input method editors, cloud storage apps, and assistive technology apps may not work if they haven’t been optimized by the manufacturer.
The last limitation prevents you from using multiple antivirus apps. Unlike traditional apps, you can’t emulate antiviruses, so you’ll need a native version of your antivirus app to use it on Windows 11 on ARM. But that can’t be a deal breaker for most of us, as Windows Defender is more than enough.
Limitations of Windows on ARM
| Functionality | Windows 10 ARM | Windows 11 24H2 ARM |
|---|---|---|
| Driver Compatibility | Requires ARM64 drivers | Requires ARM64 drivers |
| Application Compatibility | No 64-bit (x64) applications | Improved, but still requires ARM64/x86/Arm32 |
| Game Compatibility | No OpenGL > 1.1, anti-cheat issues | Anti-cheat issues, check compatibility |
| Windows Personalization Applications | Possible problems | Possible problems |
| Third party antivirus | Limited compatibility | Limited compatibility |
| Integrated security | Windows Security Available | Windows Security Available |
| Windows Fax and Scan | Not available | Not available |
As the above table created by Windows Latest shows, Windows 11 on ARM Copilot+ PCs has some limitations, but it is much better than any older version of Windows.
Games run well in most cases, and performance is significantly better than competitors in the same segment. Battery life is also a positive point of Windows on ARM, making the Copilot+ PCs a good option if you’re looking for a versatile alternative to the MacBook.
However, if you don’t care about battery life and prefer a Copilot+ AI PC without the above limitations, you can wait for AMD and Intel PCs, which are coming later this year.