Check each app and device separately: Windows 11 on Arm can emulate many x86 and x64 apps, but it cannot emulate the drivers some products need. Confirm the Windows version, app build, drivers, integrations and the exact features you rely on before you depend on a Windows on Arm PC.
Start with the Windows version and app build
First confirm that the computer is a Windows on Arm model and note whether it runs Windows 10 or Windows 11. The difference matters: Windows 10 on Arm emulates x86 apps, while Windows 11 on Arm supports emulation for both x86 and x64 apps. A native Arm64 app runs without the x86 or x64 translation layer. These capabilities do not guarantee that a particular app or all its features will work.
For Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft uses its Prism emulator, which it describes as improving emulated-app performance and reducing CPU use compared with earlier emulation technology. That is a general description, not a performance guarantee for a specific app or PC. See Microsoft’s Windows on Arm documentation and its explanation of how emulation works on Arm.
Check the app publisher’s requirements
- Find the app’s exact name and version on the publisher’s support or download page.
- Look for a native Arm64 build first. If there is none, identify whether the available Windows build is x86 or x64.
- Match that build to the Windows release: Windows 11 on Arm supports emulation for x86 and x64 apps; Windows 10 on Arm supports x86 emulation but not x64 apps.
- Check whether the app relies on drivers, plug-ins, background services or other components beyond its main executable.
Native Arm64 code avoids emulation, but architecture alone does not settle compatibility. The app’s dependencies and the features you need matter too. Microsoft outlines the Windows app and driver distinctions in its guidance on adding support for Arm devices to a Windows app.
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Check drivers and Windows integrations separately
App emulation does not translate drivers. Microsoft Learn states: “In all cases, kernel-mode drivers and user-mode print drivers MUST be built as native Arm64 binaries to work on Arm64 devices.” An x86 or x64 installer cannot make an incompatible driver work by translating it.
That means an app may open while a driver-dependent feature fails. Ask the software publisher whether every required driver and component supports Arm64. Microsoft identifies shell extensions and DLLs loaded into Windows processes as architecture-sensitive; some input method editors, assistive technologies and cloud-storage shell features may also need compatible components. Microsoft’s x86 desktop app troubleshooting guidance describes these integration issues.
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Verify each peripheral by its exact model
A peripheral can work if Windows includes a suitable driver or the hardware maker supplies an Arm64 driver. Microsoft Support summarizes the requirement this way: “Peripherals and devices only work if the drivers they depend on are built into Windows 11, or if the hardware developer has released Arm64 drivers for the device.” Do not assume that support for one model extends to another in the same product family.
- Find the complete model number on the device and search for it on the manufacturer’s support site.
- Look for an Arm64 driver or an explicit Windows on Arm support statement for your Windows version.
- Check support for the functions you need, not just basic connection—for example, a printer’s scanning, buttons or companion software.
- If it is a printer, check whether it supports Mopria and follow the manufacturer’s setup instructions. If the maker’s installer does not work, Microsoft suggests trying printer setup in Windows Settings.
Microsoft’s guidance on software and peripherals for Surface ARM-based devices covers the manufacturer-support and printer-setup checks. Device compatibility is model-specific, so verify it with the maker even if Windows recognizes the peripheral.
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Check games and other software with system-level requirements
Games and security-dependent apps can rely on low-level components that ordinary app emulation does not cover. Microsoft warns that some games may fail if they require unsupported anti-cheat drivers. Ask the publisher whether the specific game, anti-cheat system and current version support Windows on Arm.
For other specialist software, ask whether it installs a kernel-mode or UMDF driver, print driver, shell extension, or DLL that loads into a Windows process. Confirm Arm64 support for those parts—not only whether the main app is listed as compatible.
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Use compatibility directories as a starting point
Microsoft points readers to Works on WoA, a third-party, open-source directory of app and game compatibility information that is actively maintained. Use an entry to guide your checks, then confirm critical or recently updated software with its publisher. A directory listing cannot establish that every version, PC configuration, driver or feature will work.
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A successful launch proves only that the app started. Before relying on it, try the relevant tasks with the intended app version, PC and device. For example, test printing and scanning rather than just opening printer software; check a plug-in, sign-in component or background service if your work depends on it. This matters because drivers and Windows integrations have separate compatibility requirements.
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Use emulation settings only to investigate a specific problem
Windows includes per-app emulation settings for troubleshooting unusual compatibility issues. To find them, right-click the app executable, choose Properties, open Compatibility, and go to the Windows on Arm emulation settings. Microsoft warns that changing these options can reduce performance, crash the app or prevent it from launching. Change a setting only to address a specific issue, then retest the app and the features you need. See Microsoft’s instructions for adjusting emulation settings on Arm.
Make the compatibility decision on evidence
For each app or device, keep the result tied to its exact version or model and the task you tested. Record the Windows release, app architecture, required drivers or integrations, and whether the necessary features worked. If the publisher or manufacturer does not state Arm64 support for a critical driver or function, treat that part as unconfirmed rather than assuming that emulation will cover it.
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