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Google launches Arm-optimized Chrome for Windows, teases Snapdragon X Elite boost

Following testing in Canary earlier this year, Google today announced that the Arm/Snapdragon version of Chrome for Windows is now rolling out to stable. 

Google says this version of Chrome is “fully optimized for your PC’s hardware and operating system to make browsing the web faster and smoother.” People that have been testing it report significant performance improvements over the emulated version.

  • “We’ve designed Chrome browser to be fast, secure and easy to use across desktops and mobile devices, and we’re always looking for ways to bring this experience to more people,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President, Google. “Our close collaboration with Qualcomm will help ensure that Chrome users get the best possible experience while browsing the web on current Arm-compatible PCs.” 
  • “The new version of Google Chrome will help cement Snapdragon X Elite’s role as the premiere platform for Windows computing starting in mid 2024,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO, Qualcomm Inc. “As we enter the era of the AI PC, we can’t wait to see Chrome shine by taking advantage of the powerful Snapdragon X Elite system.”

This is rolling out starting today and available to existing Arm devices, including PCs powered by the Snapdragon 8cx, 8c, 7c, etc. Google did the same for Apple Silicon in 2020, while there’s been Arm-powered ChromeOS devices for some time now. Arm-optimized Chrome for Windows will let Google better compete with Microsoft Edge on that platform.

Looking ahead, Google says it expects “Chrome to get an even bigger boost in performance with Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X Elite.” The chipmaker touts “dramatic performance improvement in the Speedometer 2.0 benchmark” on reference hardware. 

The first Snapdragon X Elite devices are coming in mid-2024. This Arm version of Chrome for Windows is rolling out this week. You have to manually download it from google.com/chrome (look for “Windows 11 ARM” or similar phrasing below the button).

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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com