This developer got Windows 11 running on a Pixel 6 in a VM with Android 13, because, why not?

2 min. read

Published on February 14, 2022

published on February 14, 2022

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Windows 11 runs on all different kinds of hardware, both supported and unsupported, but one person has delivered the OS to Google’s own hardware.

Spotted by Wccfetch, Android developer Danny Lin recently managed to get Windows 11 running on a Pixel 6 Pro. The task definitely doesn’t seem like something the average user can do since it requires root access, but it showcases the power of Windows on ARM.

But, how, you might ask? Well, it’s thanks to Android 13’s Developer Preview, which enables virtualization technology. Lin was able to use this to run a full-blown Windows 11 install in a virtual machine on the device.

And here's Windows 11 as a VM on Pixel 6 https://t.co/0557SfeJtN pic.twitter.com/v7OIcWC3Ab

— kdrag0n (@kdrag0n) February 13, 2022

You might also be wondering how the performance is in a VM, and, well, you might be surprised. Lin says the VM is “really usable,” but also mentioned the lack of graphics acceleration, CPU, I/O, and memory pressure. That might sound worrying, but he did manage to get the device to run Doom.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Windows 11 in a strange place. The well-known Windows developer, Gustave Monce, previously got Windows 11 running on the Lumia 950 XL. Windows 11 on the Pixel 6 Pro definitely seems just as strange, so let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.