14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced that developers can now create their own 64-bit ARM (ARM64) applications, and they can then submit their projects to be listed for download in the Microsoft Store.
Beginning with Visual Studio 15.9, developers are being provided with an officially supported SDK for ARM64 apps, after Microsoft previously announced a preview at the Build developer conference earlier this year.
“Developers can use Visual Studio 15.9 today to recompile apps – both UWP and C++ Win32 – to run natively on Windows 10 on ARM devices. Running natively allows applications to take full advantage of the processing power and capabilities of Windows 10 on ARM devices, resulting in the best possible experience for users,” Microsoft explains.
The Windows 10 on ARM push
The goal here is to increase the number of apps targeting Windows 10 on ARM, which is Microsoft’s platform that’s running on Snapdragon chips and power devices capable of offering stunning battery life.
Windows 10 on ARM devices, also referred to as Always-Connected PCs, have until now failed to gain traction, mostly because of their performance, but Microsoft hopes to resolve most of the complaints with the second generation.
“These second-generation ARM64 devices provide even more computing power for developers to tap into while continuing to deliver the beyond-all-day battery life customers expect from Windows 10 on ARM. Like the first-generation ARM64 devices, they are also thin, light, fast, and designed with instant-on 4G LTE connectivity in mind, while able to run the wide ecosystem of Windows applications thanks to an x86 emulation layer,” Microsoft explains.
Full info on Microsoft’s Windows 10 on ARM developer toolset can be found here, and the company has several videos detailing the process and explaining in detail how you can prepare your apps for ARM processors.