ARM is not omnipotent. Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge can't run Fortnite, Adobe apps and even Google Drive

Samsung recently introduced the new Galaxy Book 4 Edge laptop, which became the first device based on the Snapdragon X Elite chipset. This chipset is characterized by high power and energy efficiency, but due to the current limitations of the Windows operating system in supporting the ARM architecture, the laptop has some application compatibility issues.

Compatibility issues

Windows, despite considerable efforts, still does not fully support the ARM architecture. This leads to a number of problems when trying to run applications that were originally designed for the x86 architecture. Microsoft has offered the Prism emulator for adapting x86 applications to ARM, but at the moment this solution does not solve all problems.

Galaxy Book 4 Edge specific limitations

Samsung has warned buyers in South Korea that some popular apps won’t work on the Galaxy Book 4 Edge. This list includes:

Fortnite
League of Legends
Halo Infinite
Google Drive
Some Adobe programs

Additionally, there may be compatibility issues:

Some printers
Websites of Korean financial institutions

Common problems of ARM devices

These limitations are characteristic not only of the Galaxy Book 4 Edge, but also of all laptops based on the Snapdragon X Elite chipset. Transitioning to a new architecture has always been a long and difficult process. However, there are prospects for improvement. As the Prism emulator evolves and more support for the ARM architecture from app developers grows, things should improve.

Examples of successful transition

Apple has already demonstrated a successful transition to the ARM architecture by developing its own ARM chips and ensuring their full integration with macOS. Controlling the design of chipsets and software has allowed Apple to avoid many of the problems faced by other manufacturers.

Conclusion

The transition from x86 to ARM on Windows devices has been fraught with challenges so far, but thanks to the efforts of developers and improvements in emulation tools such as Prism, the future of ARM devices looks promising. Users can expect gradual improvements in compatibility and performance, as has already happened with Apple.