Windows on Arm users score another win as Discord confirms an upcoming native version of the app

Windows on Arm has had a pretty slow start. The idea was there: allow Windows devices to take advantage of the ARM infrastructure and perform tasks faster with a smaller power footprint. However, you can have the best operating system in the world, but if no third-party developers come along for the ride, nobody is going to use it. People are going to need their web browsers, games, and productivity apps, and if an operating system can't provide them, then it'll make way for the ones that do.

Fortunately, Microsoft has been pulling out all the stops for Windows on Arm. Not only have more and more third-party developers made ARM-compatible apps, but Microsoft itself has unleashed its wave of Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ devices, which, even if you completely ignore the Copilot integration, make for a great way to get into ARM-based computing. Now, amid a sea of new ARM-compatible apps, Discord has announced that it, too, is getting in on the trend.

Discord reveals that it's working on a Windows on Arm version of its app

As reported by The Verge, Discord spokesperson Claudia Fellerman has confirmed that the company is hard at work cooking up a new ARM-compatible version of its popular social media app. It's still very much in its early days, and the only way you can give it a try yourself right now is by downloading the Canary app designed for bleeding-edge testers; however, the good news is that it is being worked on, and it will officially release in the future.

A senior editor for The Verge, Tom Warren, has been testing out Discord on Windows on Arm, and they seem pretty chuffed with the results so far:

While you can install Discord on Qualcomm-powered Copilot Plus devices right now, the emulated experience often freezes and is slow to load chat history or channels. You can also use unofficial Discord clients that are native to Windows on Arm. In recent weeks I’ve been testing an early version of Discord that’s compiled for Windows on Arm and it’s just like using the app on an Intel-powered device. There is no lag navigating around and the performance is a lot better.

The Verge notes that, while developers can and have used emulation to get their apps running on Windows on Arm, nothing will beat a native app in terms of performance. It's great to see so many developers of such influential apps take up the ARM mantle and make Windows on Arm a far more pleasant experience.

If you're in the mood for a Windows on Arm device, but the idea of getting a Copilot+ PC makes you grimace internally, don't fret. There are plenty of Windows on Arm laptops you can purchase that don't lean heavily on the Copilot marketing.