VMWare 4 Player supports multiple monitors, USB 3

VMware has released a major update to its free virtualization tool. VMware Player 4.0 enables you to create virtual computers within your existing PC, allowing you to try out new operating systems or other software in a safe environment without messing up your main computer.

The main improvements in version 4.0 center around the virtual hardware provided. This is the specification of the basic computer created within the program into which you can install an operating system and other test apps. In VMWare Player 4.0, the display capabilities have been upped so that they support multiple monitors.

The most practical scenario for this feature is if you’re running the program on a laptop and want to use a connected projector for the virtual display. You can also spread the guest display across several monitors. It’s also worth mentioning that it works with Windows Vista, 7 and 8 guest installs, VMware Player offers the easiest way to get Aero desktop effects in a virtual environment, a feature that continues into version 4.0.

Other virtual hardware improvements include the ability for a guest PC to access up to 64GB RAM. Of course, this relies on the host computer having at least 64GB RAM itself to allocate, but it effectively enables you to make the best use of whatever RAM you do have.

HD audio is also supported, providing 7.1 surround sound on compatible host hardware. More significantly, in a compatible operating system VMWare Player 4.0 supports pass-through USB 3.0 through a virtual xHCI USB controller. At present Windows guest machines can’t support it though, due to the lack of a generic driver in Windows.

Also welcome is the support for Bluetooth devices connected to the host. These can now be passed through to the guest operating system.

VMware Player 4.0 is available as a free download for PCs with 64-bit processors running Windows or Linux. requires a PC with a 64-bit processor in the host computer as an installation requirement. It’s available as a free download for Linux and Windows.