Microsoft gives its approval for running Windows 11 on Macs with M1 and M2 chips using Parallels
While Microsoft would very much prefer that you run Windows 11 on a PC, the company recognizes -- albeit rather reluctantly -- that some people favor Macs. Licensing restrictions have meant that, until now, users have not been permitted to run Windows on Apple Silicon.
Microsoft has published an article that officially permits the use of Parallels Desktop 18 to run Windows 11 on ARM-based Macs. This means that Macs with M1 or M2 chips can be used to run either Windows 11 Pro or Windows 11 Enterprise. There are, however, numerous caveats.
Parallels Desktop 18 rolls out more compatibility, performance improvements
It’s that time of year again when a major new version of Parallels Desktop hits the stores with the promise of improved compatibility and performance. This time around, Parallels Desktop 18.0 promises to maximize the use of Apple’s M1 Ultra chip with the potential to deliver up to 96 percent faster Windows 11 VMs on a Mac Studio.
In addition to unlocking the extra power of the M1 Ultra chip -- which will allow users to assign additional resources to their virtual machines to deliver those performance improvements, Parallels Desktop 18 also promises full support for Apple’s ProMotion display, allowing for automatic refresh rate changes.