Copilot Plus computers get more security with ExpressVPN app

The Copilot Plus computers are available now, and after a fairly extensive 48-hour test, we discovered a major limitation: most VPN apps simply don’t work on these devices. While this isn’t exactly a dealbreaker for everyone, it’s definitely a dealbreaker for corporate environments. Of course, we reached out to a few VPN providers and learned that many of them are developing compatible versions of their apps, meaning users won’t have to rely on temporary workarounds for too long. Thankfully, progress is finally being made in this regard.

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

Instead of a native build, ExpressVPN has essentially opted for a hybrid solution, using Microsoft’s new Prism x86 emulator. While that adds some extra overhead, Prism is advanced enough to provide an experience that’s at least comparable to the native app. Microsoft claims that Prism is “as powerful as Apple’s Rosetta 2 translation layer” and can emulate apps at twice the speed of the previous generation of Windows on Arm devices.

Taking a hybrid approach has allowed ExpressVPN to reduce development time, helping to ensure that Microsoft Copilot Plus users can enjoy the security and functionality of a proper VPN service while using their new devices. We expect more VPN providers to follow suit soon, but the question remains whether they will take a similar approach to ExpressVPN or create fully native Arm apps.