A number of Windows laptops have been announced that are based on the new Snapdragon X Elite CPU. These look to be powerful machines. Is Adobe planning to optimise LR Classic (&/or Desktop) for these devices?
With a slew of new laptops (including MS Surface Pro 11) being built on the ARM Snapdragon platform, does anyone know categorically whether it is possible to install and run Lightroom Classic on Window-on-ARM in emulation mode?
I don't have an answer to your question and doubt that other users will have either. That being said, I'm sure that it will shortly generate significant interest.
Lightroom Classic (Intel) does run on Windows 11 (ARM). I've run LRC (Intel) in a Windows 11 (ARM) virtual machine in a Parallels / Mac / Apple Silicon (ARM) host for over a year. It's not super speedy (mainly because the Parallels / Mac host doesn't provide the Windows virtual machines with access to the GPU), but it's fast enough for me to thoroughly test my LR plugins on Windows and help answer questions here in the forums.
This is what a Microsoft service advisor told me, but obviously they are lying! I asked Copilot, and here is the answer: In summary, Lightroom Classic can run on the Snapdragon X Elite thanks to emulation, but we're still waiting for a native version for optimal performance. Adobe may optimize Lightroom Classic for these new devices in the future, but for now, emulation is a viable option2.
This is a Community (i.e. User) forum. So, folk here aren't in the know any more than you are. That being said, I've provided a link below dated December 2022 where Adobe states their intentions re support for Windows Arm. Note the the comment re Lightroom (not Classic) and Photoshop.
Input from people who have purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition suggests that it is not possible to install Lightroom Classic on the machine.
This is despite the fact that it is possible to install it under Parallels on a Mac (as per John Ellis' screenshots in the linked article).
The page does not mention Lightroom Classic anywhere - not as "does work on Co-pilot+ PCs", not under "when does Adobe plan to release other apps for Co-Pilot+ PCs" and also not under "which apps can run natively on Co-Pilot+ PCs". It almost looks as if Adobe is ignoring Lightroom Classic.
What is the best way to influence Adobe to address this?
I have learnt on Reddit that some users are able to successfully install Lightroom Classic on a Surface Pro 11 (i.e., Windows on Arms) in emulation mode.
When I'm using Creative Cloud Desktop and logged into Adobe, I simply don't see Lightroom Classic as an option. He, on the other hand, does, together with a warning about that since he's on an ARM computer, it will be an Intel version that is downloaded for emulation.
This confuses me. We clearly see the same thing, despite us both using the same version of creative cloud.
I am in the UK. He is in the US. Might it be the case that Adobe is allowing download of LRC in one region but not in another?
If anyone reading this has either successfully installed LRC in emulation under Windows-on-ARM, or has tried but not succeded, would you mind sharing your location please?
I spoke with Adobe support today, and the helpful agent gave me this response:
As of now from all the information I gathered, Lightroom classic is not available for ARM based machines. Currently LrC is available on winarm only in simulated mode in NA regions.
I'd advise you to please fil this Adobe Wish Form so that our team can review it and work on it accordingly.
So although the form appears to just pass you onto this very same forum, I would suggest that anyone outside North America who would like to run Lightroom Classic on an ARM based machine fills logs a request to remove the "if region = NA" from Adobe's logic for determining whether Lightroom Classic should be installable on Windows ARM via Creative Cloud.
I had trouble sending pics to PS though. It wouldn't, and just show me photoshop w/o my images. Tried to uninstall and re-install both in opposite order and didn't help. I know one is emulated and the other is not.. not sure if that has anything to do w/ it. PS was not teh beta version.
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