(Updated) Microsoft confirmed release dates for compatible Adobe Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects for Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops

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Windows on Arm PCs will get a big boost for creators when several Adobe apps gain Arm-native versions later this year.

Surface Laptop 7
The Surface Laptop 7 and other Windows on Arm PCs will soon be able to run more Adobe apps natively. (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • The first wave of PCs running on Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors started shipping this week.
  • Those Arm-based chips promise impressive performance but require an emulation layer to run certain apps, which lowers performance and efficiency.
  • Adobe will release compatible versions of Illustrator and InDesign in July 2024 and Premiere Pro and After Effects later this year.
Recent updates

1:30 PM ET June 22: Microsoft has requested some changes to the language of the news we reported. Specifically, the apps won't be native but will run emulated via Microsoft PRISM (currently, these apps are being blocked from running on Qualcomm-based laptops). Adobe has also updated its FAQ site with the same information. Information in the article has been updated to reflect these changes.

Adobe apps are about to get better on Windows on Arm PCs like the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7. Some of Adobe's apps are already optimized for Arm64, but Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and After Effects are not. Fortunately for creators hoping to get the best performance from the Adobe suite while using a PC running on a Snapdragon X processor, that situation is about to change.

In a briefing attended by Windows Central on the new Surface Pro 11 it was stated that Illustrator and InDesign will have native Arm versions compatible versions in July 2024. That means the apps will run emulated via Microsoft PRISM (its new emulation layer in Windows 11 24H2), not native ARM64. Still, that's an improvement, as Adobe currently has blocks for some of its apps when it comes to installing them on ARM64 devices, like the new Snapdragon X PCs.

Premiere Pro and After Effects users will have to wait a bit longer, as those apps will have Arm-native versions "later this year." The rollout of more Adobe apps native to Arm should help creators and boost the viability of the best Copilot+ PCs.

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom are already ARM64 native, having arrived on the platform in late 2020.

The first wave of Copilot+ PCs shipped this week, and several other devices running the Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus are on the way. These chips promise better battery life and efficiency than their x86 counterparts, but they have limitations. Apps not native to Arm have to run through emulation, which is not as efficient. Microsoft's Prism emulation layer is technologically impressive but does not deliver the same performance as running apps natively.

Lighter applications should still perform well when emulated. The ultimate goal is for everyday users not to notice or care if an app is emulated. We're not there yet, at least regarding specific applications.

Can Snapdragon X Elite run Adobe Premiere Pro?

Adobe Premiere Pro running on Windows on Arm.

Adobe Premiere Pro can now run through emulation on Windows on Arm PCs, but it will soon have a native Arm version. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Until recently, you could not run Adobe Premiere Pro in emulation. That has changed, making it possible to use the video editing application on Windows on Arm PCs. That being said, the experience is not ideal. While using the PC for his ASUS VivoBook S 15 review, our Senior Editor Zac Bowden ran into issues when trying to use Adobe Premiere Pro. In fact, it was the primary exception to an otherwise smooth experience of running x86 apps in emulation:

"So, what was the exception I mentioned? I could only find one that I could tell would benefit from being Arm64 native: Adobe Premiere Pro. On these new devices, Adobe finally lets you run Premiere Pro under emulation, but Premiere Pro is a massive application that's very heavy even on Intel systems, so unsurprisingly, it doesn't run amazingly here.

Can you edit and render a video with it? Yes! But your experience will depend on the kind of video you're editing. You should be golden if you're editing a simple 1080p 30fps video. You will see the app struggle if you're working with multiple layers and effects or 4K and 60fps. You'll see frame-dropping in the timeline preview feed and rendering the video will take longer than on an Intel machine."

Adobe releasing a version of Premiere Pro that can run on Arm natively should make video editing with the app much better on PCs with a Snapdragon X Elite processor. DaVinci Resolve, a video editing app that competes with Premiere Pro, already has an Arm64 native version which works smoothly on Snapdragon X Elite-powered PCs.

Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects should also see boosts in performance and efficiency when they make the jump to being Arm-native. The first two of those programs will have native Arm versions next month, while Adobe expects to ship Arm-optimized versions of Premiere Pro and After Effects later this year.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_. 

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dougpaw57
    So when are we getting an ARM64 version of Adobe Reader. I can't believe that there still isn't an ARM version after over five years of Windows on ARM devices in the market. Adobe really is the slowest company out there for innovation.
    Reply
  • Daniel Rubino
    dougpaw57 said:
    So when are we getting an ARM64 version of Adobe Reader. I can't believe that there still isn't an ARM version after over five years of Windows on ARM devices in the market. Adobe really is the slowest company out there for innovation.
    Adobe would cite that Reader in emulation on Snapdragon X runs very well and it wouldn't be wrong. That's not an excuse for not doing native ARM64 from me, but rather, I think we need to get out of the mindset that smaller apps "need" to be updated when you have this much performance and PRISM.
    Reply
  • dougpaw57
    Daniel Rubino said:
    Adobe would cite that Reader in emulation on Snapdragon X runs very well and it wouldn't be wrong. That's not an excuse for not doing native ARM64 from me, but rather, I think we need to get out of the mindset that smaller apps "need" to be updated when you have this much performance and PRISM.
    Some of us are still running a Surface Pro X because of the small form-factor. I think Microsoft blew it by not releasing the new Surface Pro 11 in the Surface Pro X size.
    Reply
  • Arun Topez
    That update is disappointing. While it's great that it's at least compatible via PRISM, native would have been far superior. I really had the impression that with these new Snapdragon devices, that compatibility would not be an issue anymore with the improved emulation based on all the blog articles and the way Microsoft promoted it. But based on actual customer experiences on Reddit and X, it seems like there's a growing list of incompatible apps.
    Reply
  • bradavon
    It's crazy after all these years Adobe only has plans to release Photoshop, Lightroom, Premier Pro and After Effects has Native ARM apps.

    I guess it depends how well Illustrator and InDesign work.

    Still crazy though.
    Reply
  • bradavon
    Daniel Rubino said:
    Adobe would cite that Reader in emulation on Snapdragon X runs very well and it wouldn't be wrong. That's not an excuse for not doing native ARM64 from me, but rather, I think we need to get out of the mindset that smaller apps "need" to be updated when you have this much performance and PRISM.
    Also Acrobat Reader likely already works well on Surface Pro X.

    Smaller apps like WhatsApp etc .. already work great.
    Reply
  • bradavon
    Arun Topez said:
    I really had the impression that with these new Snapdragon devices, that compatibility would not be an issue anymore with the improved emulation based on all the blog articles and the way Microsoft promoted it. But based on actual customer experiences on Reddit and X, it seems like there's a growing list of incompatible apps.
    This was never stated.

    It's performance they officially stated as improved.

    This is no different on MacOS incidentally, certainly in the early days. It tended to get ignored in Apple journalist circles because the use case of MacOS is generally much narrower.

    Qualcomm never said for example Google Drive or Google QuickShare would suddenly work sadly.

    It's performance not compatibility that's been the focus. Compatibility is largely good but there are gaps that it's still on the developer to fix.

    And given Windows support for old software may never be.

    But it really does depend what you're doing. Like I said MacBooks have been shielding from this because people just don't use the same kind of niche software that Windows offers.

    I can for example wirelessly print to my Epson printer (built-in in Windows 11 drives), scan to it (using the OEM app this time) and even transfer music to my Sony MiniDisc from 2002.

    All with no issues using my Signature Pro X.
    Reply