The Lumia WOA Project, an unofficial initiative to bring full desktop Windows 10 and 11 to the old Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones, has just released an important update. The new Lumia Drivers BSP version supports hardware-accelerated graphics for x86 applications.
The newest version of Lumia Drivers BSP, 2502.03, was released on February 1, 2025. This is a big improvement because, before this update, hardware acceleration was only available for apps specifically built for ARM32 or ARM64 systems. Now, DirectX 11 compatible apps made for x86 processors can take advantage of the graphics capabilities of the Lumia 950’s Qualcomm Adreno 418 GPU or the Lumia 950 XL’s Adreno 430 GPU.
The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are smartphones made by Microsoft that came out almost ten years ago. They were among the last phones to run the Windows Mobile operating system. Even though they have been discontinued, independent developers have been releasing updates for devices like these.
This update solves a long-standing issue with running desktop versions of Windows on older devices. Although the phone’s graphics processors were decent when they were new, we shouldn’t expect them to perform like today’s technology. However, adding hardware acceleration is expected to boost graphics performance and could improve battery life and energy efficiency by lightening the load on the CPU. This better graphics processing should lead to smoother operation in apps that support it. You can find compatibility details for various Windows 10 and Windows 11 versions on the project’s GitHub page.
It’s important to remember that the Lumia WOA Project is unofficial, and Microsoft doesn’t officially support it. It relies on volunteer developers, and some hardware components may not function properly. Additionally, certain features commonly found in modern smartphones may be unavailable or perform poorly. This includes using the camera, making phone calls, sending SMS and MMS messages, and having dual SIM support.
The project is still going strong, and updates are being released to improve compatibility and functionality over time. So, it could get to the point where it’s easy to download and use. If you’re interested, check out the website for Lumia WOA.
Source: Lumia WOA Project liliputing
