Microsoft and Qualcomm Deal is Ending | Windows for M1 Macs Coming Soon?

Urian B., Tech Times 22 November 2021, 07:11 pm

Microsoft and Qualcomm's deal is coming to an end which could mean that Apple M1 Macs could be out of Windows forever. This, however, could mean that Windows could be coming natively for M1 Mac users.

Apple M1 Macs Could Run Windows Support

According to the story by 9to5Mac, while Apple has been offering Windows support on Apple's Intel Macs, the new machines are expected to be equipped with the new ARM-based M1 chip that can only run MacOS natively. The reason behind this could be related directly to the deal that Microsoft and Qualcomm made coming to an end.

Qualcomm and Microsoft have a special deal to help ensure that the company's own ARM chips are the only ones that would host native Windows support, according to XDA. Sources that are familiar with the topic say that as the agreement is about to expire, this could mean that Microsoft will finally be able to license Windows to other makers of ARM chips.

Exclusivity Deal for Microsoft and Qualcomm

Although the expat expiry date of the agreement remains unknown, the report says that it could come to an end some time really soon. Microsoft's exclusivity with Qualcomm was because of the fact that the semiconductor company was helping Microsoft when it came to the development of the Windows ARM.

As of the moment, other companies, just like MediaTek, are currently planning to build their own ARM chips that are capable of running Windows. Windows on ARM was initially announced by both Microsoft and Qualcomm back in 2016.

Running the Windows 11

The announcement was a big deal as it was able to separate the partnership from the failed Windows RT by being able to emulate x86 apps. Devices were then announced just a year later and started to ship out just shortly after.

Ever since then, Microsoft has also decided to add x64 emulation with the newer Windows 11 along with ARM64EC. This makes it much easier to run apps natively through the use of emulated plug-ins.

Entrance Into the Gaming World

This, however, is good news for Mac users since the end of the Microsoft and Qualcomm deal could mean that Apple could also license Windows 11 support for the company's M1 chip family. As of the moment, the only way for users to run Windows on M1 Macs is through using a virtual machine, since the machines do not directly have Boot camp.

Natively running the system would help achieve better performance which could be a huge improvement for gaming. Gaming has claimed a huge sector of the computer market with some of the most expensive rigs being used for gaming.

While the Apple M1 Mac has been known to focus more on productivity, it still isn't as recognized in the gaming world. As of the moment, however, there isn't any confirmation as to whether having Windows 11 run natively could help the Apple M1 Macs compete when it comes to gaming.

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Written by Urian B.