Windows 11's 26H1 will initially be limited to Snapdragon laptops.

Asus says its ZenBook A14 and A16 models with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 will ship with Windows 11 version 26H1 around March–April, and Microsoft has described 26H1 as platform changes to support specific silicon; Intel- and AMD-based PCs will remain on 25H2 until a later 26H2 release with broader feature updates.

Windows 11 is set to receive a platform-focused update, version 26H1, that is being prepared specifically for Arm-based systems. Asus has said its ZenBook A14 and A16 laptops with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 will ship with 26H1 in March or April, while ZenBook models with AMD and Intel chips will use the existing 25H2 release. Microsoft described 26H1 as including platform changes to support specific silicon and not as an update to 25H2. The release is intended to ensure the new Snapdragon X2 runs correctly under Windows 11. What is known: - Version 26H1 is being built for Arm processors, specifically Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. - Asus reported that ZenBook A14 and A16 models with Snapdragon X2 will ship with Windows 11 26H1 around March–April, while ZenBook S14 and S16 with AMD and Intel CPUs will ship with 25H2. - Microsoft has said 26H1 will include platform changes to support specific silicon and is not an update to 25H2. - The underlying platform for 26H1 is reported to be codenamed Bromine, echoing a prior Arm-first rollout that used a platform codenamed Germanium for 24H2. - 26H1 is reported to add no visible new features; feature work for all Windows 11 PCs is expected in 26H2 later in the year. Summary: Because 26H1 targets Arm-based Snapdragon X2 laptops only, most Intel- and AMD-based PCs will remain on 25H2 until Microsoft delivers a broader 26H2 release. The approach aims to introduce platform-level support for new silicon before a general feature update, and previous platform-side changes have been followed by reports of bugs, so the performance of Bromine during the Arm rollout will be noted by observers.