New Parallels 17 software has launched, letting Apple owners run Windows 11 on their Macs, even if the don’t have Boot Camp.
Windows 11 will soon be available on Macs, even if you don’t have Boot Camp, which is a multi-tool utility included on some Macs that assist users in downloading Microsoft’s Windows onto Apple Macs.
As reported by The Verge, Parallels Desktop 17 will let Mac users support Windows 11, while also supporting the M1 Macs as well, if Windows isn’t your style.
There is a little stipulation for M1 users though, as limitations mean you will only be able to emulate Arm-based operating systems, meaning you will be limited to Windows 11 on Arm.
The Arm Windows experience is also still a work in progress, so you might want to proceed with caution, as Arm’s x86 emulation will be running an x64 app, so you can tell it’s not specifically made to run the programme.
But you will only be dealing with any of the issues that come when you use Windows on any other Arm machine, so it’s not like it’s impossible.
Parallels are also saying that they are making improvements, with the company claiming that 17 will let M1 Mac users get up to a 28% better DirectX 11 performance, and up to 33% faster start times for Windows 10 on Arm Insider Preview VMs.
So if you’re moving up from Parallels 16, you should see a noticeable change, with other improvements such as up to 25% faster 2D graphics, up to six times faster OpenGL performance, which should be coming to Windows VMs on all supported Macs, as well as Intel and M1.
And thanks to the virtualised TPM, M1 users should also be treated to BitLocker and Secure Boot as well.
Plus, Parallels 17 is also promising support for macOS Monterey, as mentioned in The Verge article, as the virtualisation software will be capable of running on macOS 12 computers and even create virtual ones.
If you’re looking to install Parallels Desktop 17 on your Mac, you have a few options in terms of payment.
In the UK, you can start a new license from £69.99 a year to £79.99 a year, depending on what package you choose. You can also upgrade from Parallels 16 for £39.99 a year.
Across the pond, you can get Parallels 17 for $79.99 to $99.99 a year, or upgrade for $49.99 a year.
It might be worthwhile waiting a little while before diving in – you can also download a free trial from the website – and waiting until Windows 11 is launched, just to see how well it does on Parallels, and to see if Mircosoft’s newest update is worth investing in.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
