Microsoft expected to be working on 'x86 on ARM64 emulation' as part of Windows 10 Redstone 3

Microsoft is most likely working on bringing x86 emulation on ARM processors in Windows 10 with the Redstone 3 release set to come in the Fall of 2017 (September onwards). According to a report in ZDNet, the feature is codenamed Cobalt.

Microsoft Continuum feature which lets you connect your Windows 10 Mobile device to external displays and keyboard, is considered by the Redmond company to be a key feature for partners and customers. But the feature is currently only limited to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. Other x86 apps cannot work with Continuum.

Windows 10 Mobile supports ARM processors. Using Continuum for business and enterprise use which has a lot of Win32/line-of-business apps can be limiting so long as there is no x86 support. The only way out is running x86 apps via emulation on ARM64 based devices.

According to a Twitter post by WalkingCat (@h0x0d) it seems like Windows a working on a hybrid x86 on ARM64 tech.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/800537831407951872

According to sources who have spoken to ZDNet, the ‘C’ in CHPE stands for Cobalt which is also the codename for the x86 emulation on ARM. The ‘HP’ concerns with the company HP, which is working closely with Microsoft on not just Windows 10 PCs but also Windows 10 Mobile phones such as the HP Elite X3 phone . ‘E’ is probably for Emulation.

HP claims that its Elite X3 business users wanting to run x86 apps via Continuum have remote-desktop features via Citrix, which enable them to use Win32/line-of-business apps. HP has also tweaked its HP Workspace virtualisation service to allow smaller business users to be able to tap into their x86 apps.

Native support for x86 emulation on ARM64 will reduce the dependence on the need for virtualisation services such as the one used by HP. Thereby making more users use the Continuum feature with their business apps, without the need for an HP Windows 10 Mobile device. This makes the case for an upcoming business oriented Surface Phone even more stronger.

Cobalt x86 emulation on ARM is part of the list of features expected to come out with the Redstone 3 update of Windows 10. According to ZDNet, the release date for Cobalt in the fall of 2017 also lines up well with the release of Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 835, which is expected to have the capabilities that an x86 emulator would require.

Neither Microsoft or HP have given any comments on the developments so far.