Microsoft is rolling out a handful of firmware and driver updates for the ARM-based Surface Pro X devices, improving a few aspects of the experience. There are two different sets of updates, one for the original Surface Pro X model with the Microsoft SQ1 chipset, and one for the recent revision featuring the SQ2 chipset.
For those unaware, these chipsets are custom variants of Qualcomm"s Snapdragon 8cx, with the SQ1 being based on the original 8cx and the SQ2 based on the 8cx Gen 2, which is slightly faster than the original. However, while the chipsets are similar, the two devices are getting different sets of updates.
On Windows Update, the updates will show up as a single item, with the name "Microsoft Corporation – System Hardware Update", but there are actually a few updates packed into it. If you have the more recent Surface Pro X with the SQ2 chipset, you"ll get the following updates:
| Device Manager Name | Version and Update |
|---|---|
| Qualcomm(R) Wi-Fi B/G/N/AC (2x2) Svc - Network adapters | 1.0.1220.0
|
| Surface 0953 Fw Update – Firmware | 2.12.139.0
|
| Surface Pen Cfu Over BleLc Extn Package - Extension | 2.9.139.0
|
| Qualcomm(R) USBC UCSI Participant – System devices | 2.10.139.0
|
| Surface Panel - Monitor | 4.28.139.0
|
| Surface UEFI – Firmware | 7.205.140.0
|
| Surface Dock 2 Firmware Update Driver - Extension | 5.5.0.0
|
These updates are available for users running Windows 10 version 2004, the May 2020 Update, or later. That"s the update that shipped with the Surface Pro X with the SQ2 chipset, so that shouldn"t be a problem.
The original Surface Pro X with the SQ1 processor has a longer list of updates, with even more areas of the experience being improved. Here"s the full list:
| Device Manager Name | Version and Update |
|---|---|
| Qualcomm(R) Adreno(TM) 680 GPU - Display adapters | 26.18.1250.0
|
| Qualcomm(R) Bus Device | 1.0.1220.0
|
| Qualcomm(R) Hexagon (TM) 690 DSP | 1.0.1260.0
|
| Qualcomm(R) System Manager Device | 1.0.1120.0
|
| Qualcomm(R) Wi-Fi B/G/N/AC (2x2) Svc - Network adapters | 1.0.1260.0
|
| Surface Panel - Monitor | 4.28.139.0
|
| Surface Pro X Power Engine Plug-in Device | 1.0.1260.0
|
| Surface System Aggregator – Firmware | 14.309.139.0
|
| Surface UEFI – Firmware | 3.530.140.0
|
In this case, the updates require Windows 10 version 1903 or newer, but again, all Surface Pro X devices ship with version 1903 or newer, so everyone should be able to find the updates.
As usual, Surface firmware updates are sometimes rolled out gradually, so it"s possible that these won"t show up for everyone right away. If you don"t see the updates yet, you may need to wait a little longer. While not available for everyone yet, Microsoft recently introduced x64 emulation for ARM devices like the Surface Pro X for Windows Insiders, so if you"ve held back from buying one because it can"t run every app, that"s set to change sometime soon.