Chrome arrives without warning on Windows ARM in native version


Maxence Glineur

January 29, 2024 at 4:28 p.m.

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Google Chrome © © Wachiwit / Shutterstock

Google is preparing the release of a new version for Chrome, which could say a lot about the future of PCs equipped with ARM chips © Wachiwit / Shutterstock

Edge will no longer be the only Chromium-based browser compatible with ARM PCs. Google is, in fact, embarking on the adventure and showing the way to its competitors.

When you first boot up a new PC, one of the first things you probably do is open Edge to download your favorite web browser.

Most of the time it’s Chrome. Indeed, Google’s browser is the default solution for many users who, in the worst case, turn to other software based on its rendering engine. A wide range of options that owners of PCs equipped with an ARM chip have never had. At least, until now…

Is there a Chromium browser in the computer?

Have you ever tried using Chrome on Windows ARM? The experience is far from optimal, because it does not yet have a version natively compatible with this version of Microsoft’s OS. You must therefore simply launch the x86 version of the Google browser, which has an unfortunate impact on its performance, but also on some of its functionalities.

In fact, no other Chromium-based browser supports Windows ARM. Only Edge is an exception, the Redmond firm having taken care to make its software compatible with this new type of PC. For its part, Mozilla took the plunge with Firefox some time ago, ultimately leaving users with little choice.

Things should change, however, since a certain Pedro Justor on X.com (formerly Twitter) noticed that Google was developing an ARM64 version of its software. This is still a Canary release, primarily aimed at developers, but is fully operational and available to everyone. Enough to inspire Brave, Opera and company who could quickly follow in the footsteps of the Californian giant.

A train starting to pick up speed

Google is obviously not starting from scratch. The company is used to developing tools for machines equipped with ARM chips, such as smartphones and other Chromebooks. What’s more, Chromium has also had its own versions compatible with Windows ARM for several years, and it was ultimately only a matter of time before Chrome showed up on the platform.

The Mountain View firm perhaps needed a really good reason to take the plunge. Was she convinced by Qualcomm’s latest chips? Or has the arrival of NVIDIA and AMD in the race encouraged it to embark on an adventure that promises to be exciting? Regardless, other developers are jumping on the bandwagon, such as CPUID, which continues to develop its software beyond x64/x86 platforms.

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Complete and fluid, Google Chrome has established itself as a free reference for web browsers and is in an excellent position compared to other flagship applications such as Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge (formerly Internet Explorer). To complete its Windows, Mac and Linux version for computers, the Californian firm also offers a mobile version compatible with Android and iOS.

Complete and fluid, Google Chrome has established itself as a free reference for web browsers and is in an excellent position compared to other flagship applications such as Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge (formerly Internet Explorer). To complete its Windows, Mac and Linux version for computers, the Californian firm also offers a mobile version compatible with Android and iOS.

Source : The Verge

Maxence Glineur

A hyper-connected geek and keen on podcasts, I'm always reading or listening to news of all kinds. Between history, tech, politics, music, video games and popular science...

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A hyper-connected geek and keen on podcasts, I'm always reading or listening to news of all kinds. Between history, tech, politics, music, video games and popular science: all the news (or almost all) arouses my curiosity. Otherwise, I like rock and lofi, game nights that are always too long, good films and guys.

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