Review of the Official ChatGPT App for Windows 11: An Electron-Based Chrome Wrapper
Microsoft seems to have shifted its focus away from developing quality native applications for Windows 11, and this trend appears to have influenced other tech companies as well. One notable example is OpenAI, a close collaborator of Microsoft, which has just launched a new “ChatGPT application for Windows 11 and Windows 10.” However, upon testing, Windows Latest discovered that this app functions primarily as a web wrapper housed within an Electron framework.
The ChatGPT app, currently in its initial development phase, is limited to users who subscribe to Plus, Team, or Enterprise plans. OpenAI has labeled this a “pre-release” version, indicating that users may experience suboptimal performance and that further significant updates are forthcoming.
Despite the promise of impending improvements, it seems unlikely that OpenAI will transition away from the Electron framework to embrace a more native approach. Notably, the Windows version of ChatGPT does not utilize WebView2, which Microsoft recommends for web applications. In contrast, the macOS version is built as a native application, adhering to Apple’s design and performance standards.
During our evaluation, Windows Latest downloaded and installed the ChatGPT application for Windows 11 and confirmed its function as an Electron Chromium wrapper by checking resource allocation in the Task Manager.
Analysis of the application files substantiates that the Windows 11 ChatGPT app is indeed an Electron application. Evidence includes the presence of Chromium-specific files such as chrome_100_percent.pak and chrome_200_percent.pak, which are standard in Electron-based apps.
Furthermore, additional files like ffmpeg.dll, v8_context_snapshot.bin, and libEGL.dll are typically packaged with Electron applications.
The significant size of the ChatGPT app—approximately 260MB—can be attributed to the multitude of embedded Chromium components it includes.
In comparison, Copilot for Windows 11 occupies less than 600KB, highlighting a stark contrast. Notably, Copilot (v2) remains just as responsive as the Electron-based ChatGPT application.
While Copilot utilizes Microsoft Edge WebView2—which comes pre-installed with Windows 11 and operates system-wide—the ChatGPT application incorporates an entire instance of Chromium along with Node.js runtime, leading to unnecessary increases in RAM and storage usage without offering additional advantages.
I am not inherently opposed to the use of the Electron framework; however, one of its main drawbacks is the substantial resource consumption it entails. OpenAI could have opted for WebView2 to create a more straightforward web app, or even better, developed a native application using Windows App SDK, similar to their approach for macOS.
Although Microsoft holds 49% equity in OpenAI, this partnership has not translated into the creation of a fully-fledged native application for Windows 11.
One feature I found appealing in the new ChatGPT app for Windows is the inclusion of picture-in-picture mode.
Users can activate this mode by pressing Alt+Space to display ChatGPT in a compact window. However, it is worth noting that this shortcut conflicts with PowerToys, necessitating a remap to a different key combination.
What are your impressions of the new app? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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