New Parallels 17 officially lets you run Windows 11 on your Mac

Windows 11 is coming to Macs, even those without Boot Camp. Parallels Desktop 17 will allow Mac users to experience the next version of Microsoft Windows in a window on their Mac desktop. Parallels supports both Intel and M1 Macs (although there is an issue for those using Arm-based machines), and can even be used to run Windows 11 preview for those who cannot. not wait.

The problem for M1 users is the same as when Parallels first added support for Apple’s latest machines: you will only be able to emulate Arm-based operating systems, which means you will be limited to Windows on Arm. While it seems possible to install a Windows 11 preview for Arm machines, you’ll probably want to proceed with caution. Windows on Arm’s x86 emulation was a bit tricky, and the x64 app emulation is still in progress. Basically, if you’re looking to run a virtualized version of Windows on your M1, you’ll still face the same caveats that would come with running Windows on any other Arm machine.

While M1 users have to manage Windows on Arm, they also get performance improvements if they come from Parallels 16: Parallels says the new version will allow M1 Macs to achieve up to 28% better DirectX 11 performance and up to 33 percent faster boot times for Windows 10 on Arm Insider Preview VMs. This is in addition to up to 25% faster 2D graphics and up to 6x faster OpenGL performance that Parallels says will come to Windows virtual machines on all supported Macs, Intel and M1. M1 users will also be able to use BitLocker and Secure Boot thanks to a virtualized TPM.

There are other improvements under the hood with Parallels 17 (for example, it’s now a universal application, which should make life easier for IT departments), and it also gets macOS support. Monterey – virtualization software will be able to run on macOS 12 machines, as well as create virtual machines.

Image: Parallels

If you want the standard version of Parallels Desktop 17, you have the choice of getting a subscription for $ 79.99 per year, or a perpetual license for $ 99.99. If you had a perpetual license for a previous version of Parallels, you can upgrade to 17 for $ 49.99. There are also Pro and Business editions which cost $ 99.99 per year. Parallels sells the software on their website, but before you shell out any money, it might be worth waiting for Windows 11 to launch (potentially in October) to see how well it performs on Parallels – or if. Windows 11 is even worth jumping into the top spot.