Microsoft begins public testing with x64 emulation Arm version Windows

Microsoft has released a preview build of Windows 10 with the ability to emulate x64 programs on computers with Arm processors. In the current version, only emulation of x86 programs is possible.

Preview build 21277 includes emulation for PCs with Arm processors, such as Microsoft’s own Surface Pro X, Microsoft reports. The company warns that in this testing phase it is possible that some programs will not work with emulation. It is unknown for which programs this applies.

With the release of the Arm version of Windows 10, Microsoft decided to emulate only x86 programs. Much software for Windows 10 was still programmed for 32-bit processors, according to Microsoft. Now things have changed, so the emulation of x64 has become desirable. Apple has also supported 64-bit programs with the Arm version of macOS since its release last month.

Installing programs that work with the x64 emulation works like it does on PCs with Intel and AMD processors, so from the Store or with installation files from the Internet. Microsoft cites Rocket League and Autodesk Sketchbook as examples of software that can now be installed. Emulation performance should improve even further as the stable version gets closer to release.

Surface Pro X