Rust 1.91 Boosts Windows ARM64 to Tier-1 with Pointer Safety Lint
News November 04, 2025

Rust 1.91 Boosts Windows ARM64 to Tier-1 with Pointer Safety Lint

Rust 1.91 elevates Windows on 64-bit ARM to Tier-1 support, ensuring robust testing and distributions for ARM-based systems. It introduces a warn-by-default lint for raw pointer safety, enhancing memory reliability in unsafe code. This update boosts cross-platform development, performance, and adoption in sectors like IoT and enterprise computing.

## Rust Programming Language Achieves Milestone with Enhanced Windows ARM64 Support and Improved Pointer Safety

The Rust programming language community has released version 1.91, a significant update that brings substantial improvements for developers targeting Windows on 64-bit ARM (ARM64) architecture. This release officially elevates Windows ARM64 to Tier-1 support, signifying a major step forward in the language's cross-platform capabilities and its applicability to a wider range of devices and applications.

What does Tier-1 support mean? It means that Windows ARM64 now enjoys the highest level of support within the Rust ecosystem. This translates to guaranteed testing and readily available, pre-built distributions of Rust for ARM64-based Windows systems. Developers can now confidently build and deploy Rust applications on devices like the Surface Pro X and other emerging ARM-powered Windows machines, knowing that the platform is fully supported and actively maintained by the Rust project. This ensures smoother development workflows and reduces the risk of platform-specific issues.

Beyond the improved platform support, Rust 1.91 introduces a valuable tool for enhancing code safety: a new "warn-by-default" lint focused on raw pointer safety. Raw pointers are a feature of Rust that allow developers to bypass some of the language's strict memory safety rules, offering more control but also introducing the potential for errors if not handled carefully. This new lint acts as an early warning system, flagging potentially unsafe uses of raw pointers during compilation.

While Rust is renowned for its memory safety features, there are situations where unsafe code blocks are necessary, for example, when interfacing with C libraries or implementing low-level system functionalities. The new lint doesn't eliminate the use of raw pointers, but it encourages developers to be more mindful and deliberate when using them, prompting them to review their code and ensure that memory access is handled correctly. This ultimately leads to more robust and reliable applications, minimizing the risk of crashes and vulnerabilities stemming from memory-related issues.

The combination of Tier-1 Windows ARM64 support and the enhanced pointer safety lint makes Rust 1.91 a compelling update for developers working on cross-platform projects, particularly those targeting ARM-based systems. This release is expected to accelerate the adoption of Rust in sectors such as the Internet of Things (IoT), where ARM processors are prevalent, as well as in enterprise computing environments where performance and security are paramount. By providing better tools and stronger guarantees, Rust
Category: Technology