Microsoft has officially approved a way to run Windows 11 on ARM-based Macs, but it's different from the way you want it. In a new support article, the company has "approved" Parallels Desktop 18 to run ARM versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on M1 and M2-based Macs. In theory, if you need Windows for work, you can use a virtual machine without annoying your IT manager.
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As you can imagine, there are limitations. Microsoft to support Windows 11 on new Macs via Parallels. It is not possible to run 32-bit ARM apps as Microsoft has deprecated 32-bit software in all ARM Windows builds. The device will only work if it has Windows 11, and ARM drivers. You cannot use anything that depends on another virtualization layer, such as B. Android Apps, Linux Systems, and Windows Sandbox. Don't expect some games to run either, as nothing that requires at least DirectX 12 or OpenGL 3.3 will work.
As of 2021, it's possible to run Windows 11 in Parallels on an ARM Mac, which worked pretty well. However, at the time you had to use the Insider Preview of the operating system, and Microsoft said at the time it had no plans to support new Macs. The approved approach has resolved the licensing issue and with Parallels Desktop 18 you can now download and install Windows 11.
The Verge explains it's unclear how Microsoft changed the license. Previously, we only licensed the ARM version of Windows directly to PC vendors.
Parallels say you can purchase a single Windows 11 Pro license or go through your employer's normal purchasing process.
This won't satisfy users who want native Windows support like they used Apple's Boot Camp on Intel-based Macs. You won't get the performance or compatibility with a PC designed for Windows on ARM. However, this is probably the closest thing to an Apple-Microsoft collaboration and could work well if you have a must-run Windows productivity app.
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