Microsoft is now accepting 64-bit ARM apps for the Microsoft Store, updates Visual Studio to support recompiling Win32 apps to run natively on ARM devices
Context & Ripple Effects
This move is the pivot point in Microsoft's Windows-on-ARM strategy. In December 2016, Microsoft partnered with Qualcomm on emulation so Windows 10 on ARM could run x86 Win32 apps — a compatibility bridge that kept ARM PCs usable but left them running translated code.
Two years later, accepting 64-bit ARM apps into the Microsoft Store and updating Visual Studio to recompile Win32 apps natively signals a shift from bridging old software to building a native ARM app ecosystem, with the Store as the distribution channel.
First-order effects
- Developers targeting Windows on ARM can now submit 64-bit ARM builds directly to the Microsoft Store and use updated Visual Studio tooling to recompile existing Win32 apps rather than relying solely on emulation.
Second-order effects
- A growing catalog of native ARM apps strengthens the value proposition of Qualcomm-powered ARM PCs against Intel-based laptops, pressuring Intel's hold on the Windows PC market and giving Qualcomm a software story beyond hardware reference designs.
Third-order effects
- If native recompilation becomes the norm, Windows splits into two first-class instruction-set targets — x86/x64 and ARM64 — with the eventual goal of full coverage; the related coverage shows Microsoft later filling the remaining gap by shipping an x64 emulation preview for Windows Insiders after committing to it in October 2020, and its own toolchain going all-in with Visual Studio 2022 as the first 64-bit release with Arm64 support.
The trend: Windows is evolving from an x86-only platform toward dual-instruction support, where emulation buys time while native ARM tooling and store distribution build the durable ecosystem.