If you like to stay on the cutting edge of computer technology (like us at Tom's Guide), you've probably heard about the impressive performance of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite processor. Specially tuned for Microsoft's AI-powered Copilot+ PC, this silicon is ARM-based and helps achieve formidable levels of performance.

This is because many good VPNs currently do not work on your shiny new ARM-based laptop. If you value privacy and security when browsing online, this can be a deal breaker.

Although state-of-the-art, Windows ARM laptops currently still do not support most VPN apps; while they are fully compatible with WireGuard and OpenVPN encryption protocols, the apps themselves are still being developed by many top providers. This includes some of the best Windows VPNs such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

In the absence of native versions, Windows "translates" standard Windows apps to ARM setups, but the best performance is only available in versions made specifically for it.

Peter Membrey, ExpressVPN's chief engineering officer, says, "Emulation is sufficient for most software (and it works surprisingly well), but if the software is specialized or If the software is deeply integrated with the operating system, it doesn't work very well. [Qualcomm does not recommend using apps not on this list compiled by our friends at TechRadar.

If privacy is important to you, our advice is twofold: if you already have a VPN subscription that does not yet support Snapdragon, we recommend holding off on buying these machines for now.

If you want a new laptop now, try an Intel-powered Windows device or a MacBook.

There are actually several VPNs that can take advantage of ARM's x86_64 architecture; Surfshark and Windscribe both support ARM, and Surfshark's product manager for VPNs, Justas Pukys, says, "The app's features have been enhancements, provide a seamless experience to a broader user base, and ensure the availability of VPN apps in the Microsoft Store" is a priority.

Ultimately, we will have to wait for the world to catch up with this new hardware, but it seems that getting apps to run natively on ARM hardware will be quite a challenge.

Peter Membrey explains: "The only sure-fire solution to this problem is to rebuild everything natively for ARM. This means no emulation layer is needed and everything runs as smoothly as expected."

The ARM system is a very good example of a system that is not only very good at what it does, but is also very good at what it does.

Private Internet Access is closer to a solution, believes Himmat Bains, PIA's head of product: "PIA worked closely with the Microsoft product team to unblock [the driver certificate signature]. We will have a beta version ready for PIA users within the next few weeks.

As for other top VPN providers, NordVPN promises that its ARM app is "in the final stages of development," but for now users "set up manual connections on Windows using OpenVPN."

On balance, It doesn't seem to be long before most major VPN providers have the appropriate software available.

Are you an early adopter? Don't worry - you don't have to accept second-rate privacy. As already mentioned, some providers already have compatible apps, but they are currently in the minority.

If your provider of choice does not yet have an app available, our advice would be to use one of the best router VPNs to apply protection to your entire device network and not use public Wi-FI. Take extra care to protect yourself online, at least until the app is released.