Why .NET Framework 4.8.1’s Native Arm64 Support Matters for Developers

Note: Microsoft recently updated its flagship software development runtime – the .NET Framework – adding native Arm64 support.

.NET Framework version number increased to 4.8.1, included in Visual Studio 2022 17.3.

This version is good news for developers who want legacy .NET apps to run on Arm64 chips: native Arm64 support means no longer needing to run x64 code in an emulation environment.

"For .NET Framework applications and the massive ecosystem of libraries, the investment can now be used on Arm64 with native workload advantages for better performance," Microsoft said in its official blog.

The update also adds official support for Arm64EC, which allows mixing Arm and x64 code, making application porting an incremental transaction.

Microsoft also said: "We hope using Arm64EC can make it easier for developers to use Windows on Arm, especially for apps that cannot be migrated today due to x64 plugins or dependencies."

Besides accessibility improvements, the .NET Framework update also drops support for some older operating systems; only Windows 11, Windows 10 20H2 and later, and Windows Server 2022 can be upgraded.

This is a strange behavior, as previous .NET versions even supported Windows Server 2019.

".NET Framework 4.8.1 adds native support for customers building apps on it; for Arm64 devices, the 4.8.1 support matrix reflects this, including Windows 11 and later," said .NET Framework Servicing senior engineer Tara Overfield.

.NET Framework 4.8.1 is also available for x64‑based devices on Windows 10 version (20H2+) and Windows Server 2022+.

.NET Framework 4.8.1 download links

Download .NET Framework 4.8.1 Runtime (Web installer): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2203304

Download .NET Framework 4.8.1 Runtime (offline installer): https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2203305

Download .NET Framework 4.8.1 Developer Pack: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2203306

Overall, this update has some useful things.