Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs may soon get native Discord app

An early Arm64 build is reportedly in testing, as Discord joins the growing list of apps optimised for Windows on Arm

Discord is reportedly developing a native version of its communications platform for Windows on Arm. According to a report by The Verge, an early Arm64 build is already available for testing and promises better performance on Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Copilot Plus PCs compared to the emulated version currently in use.

 

In a statement to The Verge, Discord spokesperson Claudia Fellerman confirmed that development is underway, although still in its early stages. There’s no official timeline for a public rollout. At present, Windows on Arm users can run the standard Discord app via emulation, but this approach often results in slow channel loading, occasional freezing, and an overall degraded user experience.

 

Initial feedback from testers of the Arm64 build suggests a significantly improved experience, with faster load times and smoother navigation without the lag seen in the emulated version.

 

Once officially released, Discord will join a growing line-up of apps optimised for Windows on Arm, including Google Chrome, Zoom, Photoshop, Dropbox, and Spotify. According to The Verge, there are currently over 730 apps tailored for Windows on Arm—about 42 per cent of which are fully native, while roughly 31 per cent use Microsoft’s Prism emulator.

Microsoft has significantly improved the Windows on Arm ecosystem in recent years, enhancing support for both translated legacy applications and native Arm64 apps. Native builds like Discord’s are particularly valuable for new Copilot Plus PCs, as they can better leverage the efficiency and performance advantages of Qualcomm's Arm-based chipsets—especially in demanding applications like video calling and real-time collaboration.