Parallels and Windows 10 on M chips

[Dr. Crentist]

Hello there. What is the general experience of running Windows 10 and Windows 11 in a Parallels VM on Macs with M-Series chips? I am looking at purchasing our first M3 series computer and I'd like to know what to expect as far as app compatibility goes. Also, any specific RAM requirements that you have found for a smooth experience?

I'd love an established thread on this if I missed one. Please feel free to share if you know where I should go read.

Thanks in advance.

 

[chrfr]

Hello there. What is the general experience of running Windows 10 and Windows 11 in a Parallels VM on Macs with M-Series chips? I am looking at purchasing our first M3 series computer and I'd like to know what to expect as far as app compatibility goes. Also, any specific RAM requirements that you have found for a smooth experience?

I'd love an established thread on this if I missed one. Please feel free to share if you know where I should go read.

Thanks in advance.

You can only run the arm64 version of Windows 11 in Parallels on Apple Silicon Macs- Windows 10 and Intel versions of Windows are not options. There is Intel emulation built into arm64 Windows but it does have limitations. I'd suggest doing some web searches about arm64 Windows to get details there.

 

[gank41]

Hello there. What is the general experience of running Windows 10 and Windows 11 in a Parallels VM on Macs with M-Series chips? I am looking at purchasing our first M3 series computer and I'd like to know what to expect as far as app compatibility goes. Also, any specific RAM requirements that you have found for a smooth experience?

I'd love an established thread on this if I missed one. Please feel free to share if you know where I should go read.

Thanks in advance.

I have a Late 2020 M1 MBP (16GB/2TB model) and regularly use a Windows 11 VM in Parallels for work, configured with the "Automatic" settings of "4 CPUs, 6 GB RAM, (up to 3 GB for graphics)", and have Windows registered thru our Company Portal and mainly use a lot of Citrix apps and Remote support type apps. Sometimes I'm working on macOS, running a VM of Windows 11, and then remoting into Windows 11 machines for work... While running 3-4 Citrix apps and have a few Word docs open and maybe a couple tabs open in Edge to various SharePoint pages.

Now, while I'm doing all of this, macOS itself is pretty much JUST the host here. Don't expect to do much else beyond what you're doing in the VM. And FWIW, I'd suggest looking into upgrading to Windows 11, if possible, due to some better optimizations across the board between Windows & Parallels. But make sure whatever app you need to use will work, obviously, in Windows 11 before upgrading.

(initially entered in Windows 10, but I've always just been up to date and although I used Windows 10 like this since the Parallels Tech Preview shortly after the M1 MBP & MBA were released, for what seems like well over 1½ years or so, Windows 11 has proven (to me) to be just as reliable, if not more so.)

 

[thebart]

16gb RAM is minimum, I would say. Provided enough RAM, Windows runs pretty well in Parallels

As said before, you can only run Windows 11 ARM

As far as app compatibility goes, you have

1) apps that have been ported to ARM, like Edge and Office. These are far and few in between
2) x86 apps that run on emulation. The vast majority, including chrome and Adobe suite
3) apps that run but have features that don't work
4) apps that don't even start

The above applies to compatibility within Windows 11 itself. When you are running it inside a VM, you introduce an extra layer of possible incompatibility. So apps that run fine in Windows ARM may break when running in Parallels.

You just have to ask people in the know whether the mission critical apps you need actually run in Parallels. Or try it yourself

 

[haralds]

I have been using Parallels Desktop before the M1 was released. It replaced VMWare on Intel, since that development had stalled.
Once I got the MacBook Pro 13 M1, I licensed a version for it first using Windows 10 ARM64 Preview builds. Since then, I added a Mac Studio, also running Parallels now on Windows 11. I am also using it on my old classic Mac Pro 5,1, where it works under OCLP-installed Sonoma. I am paying for three licenses.
The range of functionality and performance of Parallels has continued just to get better. Downloading and installing Windows 11 ARM is pretty much automatic. My primary use is for Windows Development and testing (Visual Studio) and playing games under Steam and GOG. Occasionally, I also use Office.
I have not run into any functionality issues with Intel translation. Performance is snappy, stability is high. Support on their forums is pretty good.
macOS Guests are limited to what Apple allows. Sonoma is close to what you get on Intel, but still does not allow AppleID login, so no iCloud or App Store.

 

[Dr. Crentist]

Thanks, everyone.