Visual Studio for Windows on Arm
About this Install Guide
| Reading time: | 30 min |
| Last updated: | 26 Feb 2026 |
| Reading time: |
| 30 min |
| Last updated: |
| 26 Feb 2026 |
This guide shows you how to install and use the tool with the most common configuration. For advanced options and complete reference information, see the official documentation. Some install guides also include optional next steps to help you explore related workflows or integrations.
Visual Studio 2022 version 17.4 and higher natively supports Windows on Arm devices, enabling you to develop C and C++ applications directly on Arm hardware using the MSVC or LLVM toolchains.
How do I download and install Visual Studio for Windows on Arm?
Download the Visual Studio Installer to get started.
There are 3 different versions available to download: Community, Professional and Enterprise.
Choose the appropriate version for your usage.
Once downloaded, run the VisualStudioSetup.exe file on a Windows on Arm machine. This is the installer.
How do I install C and C++ support in Visual Studio?
During the installation process, you will be asked to choose the workloads you want and customize your installation. At a minimum, select Desktop development with C++.
How do I install LLVM support in Visual Studio?
To build native Windows Applications using the LLVM toolchain in Visual Studio, you need to install additional components.
In the installer, select the Individual components tab. Enter clang in the search bar.
Two results are displayed: The LLVM compiler and MSBuild support for LLVM. Select both these options:
Different versions of Visual Studio include different LLVM toolchain versions.
For example, Visual Studio 2026 Version 18.3.2 installs LLVM 19.1.2.
LLVM supports clang-cl, a compatibility layer for Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC). This means that most developers can use clang-cl to compile their C/C++ applications on Visual Studio/MSBuild on the Windows on Arm device, without needing to change the command line. This allows you to easily modify legacy projects that use MSVC to use native compilation.
You can now proceed with Install. The installation process can take several minutes to complete. A reboot of your machine is required before you launch Visual Studio.
How do I modify my Visual Studio installation?
The workload and individual component selection can also be made at any time after you complete the installation of Visual Studio. To modify your installation, run VisualStudioSetup.exe, select Continue to accept the installation conditions and then choose Modify.
You can choose additional workloads and individual components to further customize your installation.
For the latest updates on Arm native development, check the Windows on Arm documentation.
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