You can now run regular Windows apps (x86) on Surface RT / Windows RT

The Microsoft Surface RT is a beautiful device, with some respectable hardware powering it. Unfortunately its only limitation is its comparably small collection of apps in the Windows Store which is still in the process of growing. Unlike the Microsoft Surface Pro which is capable of running every Windows app available, the Surface RT and other Windows RT tablets have to stay limited to the Windows Store for their apps.

Fortunately it looks like the limitation can be bypassed thanks to the XDA-Developer community. If you own a Windows RT tablet and are willing to jailbreak the device you will be able to run legacy Windows apps on your Windows RT tablet.

Your first step is to jailbreak your Windows RT tablet. The jailbreak allows you to run any unsigned apps on your Windows RT device, without restricting you to downloading apps form the Windows Store. You can find our step-by-step guide on how to jailbreak your Microsoft Surface or other Windows RT tablet here.

Keep in mind that this tool is in a very early beta stage of development and you will likely run into issues. The developer of the  tool had the following to say:

Allows running x86 Windows applications on Windows RT (ARM) tablets. The tool emulates x86 instructions and passes Windows API calls to WinRT kernel with necessary modifications.

Currently the tool comes with a GUI and installer, but you will need to run the app manually every time you want to run an X86 program on your Windows RT device. The developer has some restrictions on what sort of apps you should run on your Surface RT, so check out the source link for the restrictions before you try and fire up a Windows game on your Surface RT.

If you own a Windows RT tablet like the Surface RT and want to partake in the beta test, head over to the following source link and download the tool. Be sure to provide your feedback to the developer so the tool can be improved in future releases.


source – XDA Developers