Hi everyone,I’m currently using an older PC with limited hardware performance, and I’m exploring the possibility of running Adobe applications through Microsoft Azure (virtual machine/cloud setup).I have a few questions and would really appreciate your insights:Can Adobe apps (like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, etc.) run smoothly on Azure without noticeable lag, especially on a low-spec local machine? How dependent is the experience on internet speed and latency? Will the performance be comparable to running Adobe apps on a high-end local desktop? Is the overall experience (UI responsiveness, rendering, playback, etc.) the same as the native desktop version, or are there limitations? Are there any common issues or challenges (input lag, file handling, GPU limitations, etc.) I should be aware of?I’m mainly looking for a stable, lag-free workflow for creative tasks despite having older hardware locally.

Participant

Question

Hi, I’m using an old PC and considering running Adobe apps via Microsoft Azure. Will they run smoothly without lag, and is the experience similar to using them on a normal desktop?

Forum|Forum|6 days ago
April 2, 2026
3 replies
69 views

Hi everyone,

I’m currently using an older PC with limited hardware performance, and I’m exploring the possibility of running Adobe applications through Microsoft Azure (virtual machine/cloud setup).

I have a few questions and would really appreciate your insights:

Can Adobe apps (like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, etc.) run smoothly on Azure without noticeable lag, especially on a low-spec local machine?
How dependent is the experience on internet speed and latency?
Will the performance be comparable to running Adobe apps on a high-end local desktop?
Is the overall experience (UI responsiveness, rendering, playback, etc.) the same as the native desktop version, or are there limitations?
Are there any common issues or challenges (input lag, file handling, GPU limitations, etc.) I should be aware of?

I’m mainly looking for a stable, lag-free workflow for creative tasks despite having older hardware locally.

jane-e

Community Expert

@Aneesha K A

See if this page from Microsoft addresses your issue with Azure and Photoshop:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1617823/problems-running-adobe-photoshop-in-azure-virtual

If not, you might ask in the Microsoft forums.

Here’s what Adobe says about running Photoshop on a virtual machine: it is not supported.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/desktop/get-started/technical-requirements-installation/photoshop-and-graphics-processor-gpu-card-usage.html

If you want to test for yourself, you can get a 7-day trial. Be sure to cancel before the trial is over or it rolls into an annual commitment.

Jane

E

ExUSA

Legend

This is not supported and is unlikely to work properly. Your best bet is to get a newer, supported computer.

Aneesha K AAuthor

Participant

Thank you for the clarification.

D Fosse

Community Expert

Photoshop has to be installed on your machine. It cannot run remotely.

However, there is Photoshop for Web, which you open in a web browser. I don’t have any experience with that, but I assume the same licensing applies and you launch it from the CC desktop app. In other words, you need a running Photoshop subscription either way. Seems a bit much to pay for just accessing it through a web browser.

There is also something called Adobe Express, but I don’t know what that will do.

Sorry for not being more specific, but the range of Adobe applications has become quite large and sprawling...someone else may have more details.

Aneesha K AAuthor

Participant

Thanks for the update. I’ve tried Photoshop for Web before, but it feels very different compared to the desktop app, so I'm still looking for a better solution.

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