Microsoft has acknowledged that there are some shortcomings with Copilot+ PCs based on Arm processors (the only type of device that has gone on sale so far) and has outlined those weaknesses.
Of course, there are strong points with the Copilot+ PCs running on the new Snapdragon X (Arm) CPUs, and we’ll get to those later, in the interest of balance. But first, let’s run through Microsoft’s series of admissions, one of which is a list of five “limitations” of a Windows 11 Arm-based PC provided in a support FAQ (noted by Windows Latest).
First, Microsoft points out that: “Drivers for hardware, games, and apps will only work if they are designed for a Windows 11 ARM PC.”
This is a tricky issue, because it has a knock-on effect elsewhere. This obviously means that you won’t be able to use peripherals or hardware that don’t have Arm drivers released for them (unless the device already has support in Windows 11).
However, it also leads to drawback number two, which is that “certain games won’t work”, and a major reason for this is if they have anti-cheat drivers that aren’t coded for ARM-based PCs. (These types of anti-cheat countermeasures are popular in competitive online gaming for obvious reasons.)
Another downside that Microsoft points out is that some antivirus apps don’t work, and again, this is often mired in driver issues. So three of the negatives come back to driver support (or at least potential).
Moving on to the fourth deficiency on Microsoft’s list, which is: “Apps that customize the Windows experience may have issues. This includes some input method editors (IMEs), assistive technologies, and cloud storage apps.”
Finally, Microsoft notes that Windows Fax and Scan is not available on Windows 11 ARM machines, which is clearly a much more specific issue.
Analysis: Also strong points, including long battery life
In short, the main drawbacks of Arm-powered Copilot+ devices can be summarized as follows: some apps may stutter, and some games may not work, and some devices may not either (due to driver issues – which can also affect some of the aforementioned games and antivirus apps).
It’s good to see Microsoft being upfront about these issues. The company has addressed the major drawbacks of Windows on Arm as it stands.
As we noted earlier, to keep things balanced, Microsoft also lists the strengths of its Arm-based Copilot+ PCs, including over 100% battery life and instant-on functionality (the device springs to life like a smartphone, without you having to wait for anything).
It’s also important to point out that Microsoft has made great strides with Windows on Arm, and compatibility is now much improved, as is the ability to emulate games and even run games like Baldur’s Gate 3 at acceptable framerates for a non-gaming laptop. This is actually quite remarkable, and we’ve been impressed with the Copilot+ PCs we’ve had available for review so far.
We found Microsoft’s battery life to be true, and we’re impressed with the new Surface Laptop’s performance. What’s more, the Surface Pro 11 nearly earned top marks in our review , where we called it a laptop Apple should be worried about.
So while you should realize what you’re getting into with Windows 11 on Arm, these first Copilot+ PCs are certainly impressive in many ways.
Those still on the fence, however, can always wait for a more traditional Copilot+ PC running stock Windows 11 with an AMD or Intel (x86) mobile processor, whenever those respective next-gen efforts (with a powerful enough NPU) release. In AMD’s case, you won’t have long to wait: laptops with Ryzen AI 300 CPUs are expected later in July. Intel’s Lunar Lake processors are further away still, but are still expected later in 2024.