Microsoft Copilot Plus PCs get a security boost with ExpressVPN app

Copilot Plus PCs are out now, and after a fairly extensive 48-hour test, we discovered a major limitation: Most VPN apps just don’t work on these devices. While this isn’t exactly a deal-breaker for everyone, it most definitely is for those in enterprise environments. We, of course, reached out to several VPN providers and learned that many were developing compatible versions of their apps, which meant users wouldn’t have to rely on temporary workarounds for too long. Fortunately, progress has finally been made on this front.

As of today, ExpressVPN is one of the first top VPN services to announce an Arm-compatible version of its service. Initially, the plan was for ExpressVPN to build an Arm-native app, but the company ultimately decided to take a different approach.

Instead of a native build, ExpressVPN essentially opted for a hybrid solution, leveraging Microsoft’s new Prism x86 emulator. While that does mean some extra overhead, Prism’s advanced enough to deliver an experience that’s at least comparable to that of a native app. Microsoft has claimed that Prism is “as efficient as Apple’s Rosetta 2 translation layer” and can emulate apps at double the speed of previous-gen Windows on Arm devices.

Taking a hybrid approach has let ExpressVPN reduce its development time, and in doing so helps to ensure that Microsoft Copilot Plus users can benefit from the security and functionality of a proper VPN service while they enjoy their new devices. We expect more VPN providers will follow suit shortly, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll take a similar approach to ExpressVPN, or build fully native Arm apps.