Kodi Finally Runs Natively on Windows ARM Laptops - Kodi 22 RC1 Is Out

Kodi has never had an official desktop release for Windows on ARM laptops - until now.

A close-up of a video cable with a Kodi logo seated perfectly in a laptop socket, beside the title Kodi Goes Native on ARM

Kodi 22 "Piers" RC1, released on 10 October 2026, comes with a native installer for ARM-based Windows PCs alongside the usual one.

If you own a Snapdragon laptop, or one of the new Nvidia-powered Windows laptops arriving this month, Kodi no longer has to run through emulation.

Here is how to tell which version you need, what else is new in Piers, and how to try it without risking your library.

Why Native ARM Support Matters

Windows on ARM laptops can run ordinary Windows apps built for Intel and AMD chips, but they do it through Prism, Microsoft's built-in translator. It works, but a translated app does extra work that a native one skips, and that can cost speed and battery life.

That matters more for a media center than for most apps, because Kodi often sits open for hours playing video.

Kodi 22 fixes this with a separate ARM64 installer built for these chips. The team still calls it initial support, so treat it as a strong first version rather than a finished one.

Which Kodi Do You Need? A Ten-Second Check

Open Settings > System > About and look at the line called System type.

"ARM-based processor": you want the ARM64 installer, kodi-22.0-Piers_rc1-arm64.exe.
"x64-based processor": you want the normal installer, kodi-22.0-Piers_rc1-x64.exe, like almost every desktop PC.

Laptops with Snapdragon X chips are ARM. So are the new Nvidia N1X laptops such as the Surface Laptop Ultra, which start shipping around 16 October.

What Else Is New in Kodi 22

The ARM build is the headline for laptop owners, but Piers brings plenty for every PC.

Better HDR: HDR menus and overlays, and UHD Blu-ray subtitles that look right on HDR video.
Newer playback engine: Kodi 22 moves to FFmpeg 9, the decoding library behind almost every format it plays.
Blu-ray: a new menu for picking episodes on TV-series discs, plus faster disc detection.
Library and live TV: a Media Details window, audio language badges, a Providers window and a programme guide that works in one-minute steps.
Windows extras: Video Super Resolution upscaling now handles 10-bit and HDR10 video on supported Nvidia graphics, and XAudio2 audio output works on desktop PCs.
Retro gaming: RetroAchievements and a cheat engine for the built-in emulators.

What Is Still Rough

The team says the remaining bugs are mostly in the new v22 features. It lists two known issues: washed-out menus during HDR playback on Linux, and limited MKV tag reading in some builds.

Neither stops your videos from playing. No final release date has been announced yet.

Should You Install Kodi 22 RC1?

Try RC1 if:

you have a Windows on ARM laptop and want Kodi running natively now
you want the new HDR and Blu-ray features
you are happy to restore a backup if something breaks

Stay on Kodi 21.3 Omega if:

Kodi runs the living room and other people rely on it
you depend on add-ons that have not been updated for v22 yet
several devices share one library database over MySQL or MariaDB, because they all need to run the same version

Back up first.

The Kodi team's own advice is to take a backup, because a major upgrade converts your library and add-on settings. On Windows, close Kodi and copy the whole %APPDATA%\Kodi folder somewhere safe before you install.

RC1 sits under "Prerelease" on Kodi's own download page, and our Kodi download page carries both the stable 21.3 Omega and the Piers test build. The full list of changes is in the official RC1 announcement.

Setting up Kodi on a new laptop is also a good moment to tidy your library. tinyMediaManager can rename your files and write the NFO files Kodi reads, so everything shows up with the right artwork.

Quick questions

Does Kodi 21 work on Windows ARM laptops?

The regular x64 version should run, because Windows translates Intel and AMD apps automatically. Kodi 22 is the first release with a native ARM64 desktop installer, which skips that translation.

When will Kodi 22 final be released?

The team has not given a date. A release candidate is the last stage before the final build, so the next steps are any further RCs and then the official release.

Is Kodi 22 free?

Yes. Kodi is free and open source, made by the non-profit Kodi Foundation, with no paid version or subscription.

Can I run Kodi 22 RC1 next to Kodi 21?

Not by default, because the Windows installer replaces your current version and uses the same data folder. Advanced users can run RC1 in portable mode from a separate folder by starting kodi.exe -p, which keeps its data apart.

Does Kodi 22 play IPTV playlists?

Yes, through the free PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on. If you just want to load an M3U list without any setup, see our guide to the best free IPTV players.

Do I need to install codecs for Kodi?

No. Kodi carries its own decoders through FFmpeg, so it plays almost everything out of the box. If you only need to open the odd video file, VLC Media Player is a lighter choice.