Hedgehog IT

How You Can Run Windows 11 on Apple Silicon …but with a Catch!

16th February 2023

Microsoft Windows 11 logo

Microsoft has officially acknowledged how users can run Windows 11 on Apple’s M1 and M2 Macs. The company now officially supports two options: Windows 365 Cloud PC and Parallels Desktop 18. While this clears up some confusion, there are still some hefty limitations in place, especially for users who require certain apps or more advanced features.

Run Windows 11 on M1 and M2 Macs

Before Apple switched to its own M1 chips in 2020, Mac users could run Windows using Boot Camp, which permitted a Windows install directly on their Mac. There were also virtualisation tools like Parallels, VMware, and VirtualBox that allowed users to run Windows inside macOS. But when Apple ditched Intel chips, Boot Camp stopped working, leaving virtualisation as the only real option.

Now though, Microsoft has confirmed two “official” ways to run Windows 11 on an Apple Silicon Mac, they are:

  • Windows 365 Cloud PC – A cloud-based service that lets you stream Windows.
  • Parallels Desktop 18 – A virtualisation tool that can run Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise for Arm on a Mac.

Macbook sitting on a desk running Windows 11

What’s The Catch?

Even though these options work, Microsoft warns there are some big downsides:

  • Some apps won’t work – If an app needs DirectX 12 or OpenGL 3.3+, it might not run properly.
  • No support for nested virtualsation – This means features like Windows Subsystem for Android, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Sandbox, and Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) won’t be available.
  • Other virtualization tools are not confirmed – Microsoft doesn’t say anything about Azure Virtual Desktop, VMware, or Oracle VirtualBox, so it’s unclear if those will work well or get any official support.

Uncertainties Remain

While this is a step in the right direction towards official Windows 11 compatibility on Macs, Microsoft has stopped short of confirming whether or not they’ll provide full support for Windows 11 on Apple Silicon.

In the face of this, interested users should remain cautious — especially if they depend on Windows for business-critical tasks.

Post Tag icon Apple MacBook Microsoft PC Tips & Tricks Windows