According to a documentation page from Microsoft (spotted by Thurrott.com) details a complete list of the limitations with the version of Windows 10 for ARM-based devices. However, it appears that the list was published by accident, because Microsoft quickly removed the page, and there’s now only a cached copy of the list.
Windows 10 on ARM limitations
Only ARM64 drivers are supported — While ARM OS has the capabilities to emulate x86 user-mode apps, drivers implemented for other architectures (such as x64 or x86) are not currently emulated and thus not supported on this platform. Any app that works with its own custom driver would need to be ported to ARM64. In limited scenarios, the app may run as x86 under emulation but the driver portion of the app must be ported to ARM64. x64 apps are not supported — Windows 10 on ARM does not support emulation of x64 apps. Certain games don’t work — Games and apps that use a version of OpenGL later than 1.1 or that require hardware-accelerated OpenGL don’t work. In addition, games that rely on “anti-cheat” drivers are not supported on this platform. Apps that customize the Windows experience may not work correctly — Native OS components cannot load non-native components. For example, apps that commonly do this include some input method editors (IMEs), assistive technologies, and cloud storage apps. Apps that assume that all ARM-based devices are running a mobile version of Windows may not work correctly — Apps that make this assumption may appear in the wrong orientation, present unexpected UI layout or rendering, or failing to start altogether when they attempt to invoke mobile-only APIs without first testing the contract availability. The Windows Hypervisor Platform is not supported on ARM — Running any virtual machines using Hyper-V on an ARM device will not work.
Although some of the limitations were expected, it appears that regular users won’t have much problems running apps as usual, including the ability to download and install most 32-bit classic desktop applications on ARM. However, if you’re planning to get these devices for a work environment, you’ll need to make sure the applications you intend to run are indeed compatible. Will these limitations affect your decision on the purchase of a Windows 10 devices using an ARM processor? Tell us in the comments. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
