If I build a regular x86_64 (non-ARM app), and it runs under Rosetta on Apple SIlicon, then does the WebViewer run as ARM or translated x86 code?
I have an app where the heaviest computation is in a WebViewer / javascript, and I’m wondering if there would be much of a performance increase to compile it to ARM.
Very interesting question. I wasn’t able to find any information!
When I made my research for the article below, I learned that Apple claims that everything an App does “as x86” on M1 will be executed x86. So if you ensure that the terminal will start as x86 you can as well install homebrew as x86. So I think the chances are relatively high that it will be executed as x86.
This may also depend on Webkit 1 vs 2: the newer WKWebView runs in a separate process, so in theory this might allow it to be running native ARM even if the parent process is x86. Just a guess however.
In fact, I just tested it, and it appears to be the case. Here’s my app running a WKWebViewMBS control on a DTK: Notice how the app is Intel but the web content is Apple:
