Google prepares for a major 2024 launch by testing Chrome for Windows on Arm

Google Chrome is testing a native version for Windows on Arm, potentially gaining importance in 2024. Twitter user Pedro Justo confirmed the availability of Windows on Arm builds as part of Google’s nightly Canary Channel, the latest Chrome beta. The Verge also verified that the browser runs natively on Windows on Arm machines. While this is a first for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, built on the Chromium open source, already runs natively on Arm PCs. Chrome will run on existing Windows on Arm devices, but via emulation, introducing a performance penalty. Google’s release of Chrome as a nightly Canary build could mean it will be released within the stable version in a couple of months. This schedule aligns with the development and release of the Snapdragon X Elite platform for Windows on Arm. The Snapdragon X Elite platform, launched last fall, promises improved performance for Windows on Arm devices. However, the chip’s final performance compared to Intel and AMD chips is still unknown. Eliminating any performance penalty via emulation will make the Snapdragon X Elite experience more competitive once it arrives.