Parallels has announced a new version of its flagship virtual machine software for macOS that makes it easier than ever to run Windows 11 on Apple Macs.
Parallels Desktop 18 brings a host of updates, most notably the ability to launch a virtual Windows 11 desktop with the push of a button.
The new version also offers twice the performance of the Windows app on Apple M1 Ultra devices and support for Apple's ProMotion display technology.
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There are plenty of reasons someone might want to run Windows 11 on macOS, no matter how strong their allegiance to Apple is.
Using a virtualization tool like Parallels, for example, allows Mac owners to juggle exclusive macOS and Windows apps and run games incompatible with Apple devices.
In general, virtualization imposes a certain tax on performance, which means that users probably won't be able to run applications as easily as they would on a standard Windows system.
However, the latest version of Parallels Desktop is designed to deliver as close to native performance as possible, while adding support for several new features for personal and business users.
These include the ability to share Xbox and Playstation controllers between the host device and the Windows virtual machine, new identity management features for IT administrators, and an option to configure network conditions for virtual machines running on Apple M1 Mac.
"We are proud of our team of engineers who continue to be at the forefront of innovation to provide our users with a noticeably more powerful and smooth Parallels Desktop for Mac experience, integrated with the latest macOS Ventura, optimized for the latest hardware. Apple , and offers valuable features to deliver even better productivity and performance,” said (opens in a new tab) Prashant Ketkar, director of technology and products at Corel, which acquired Parallels in 2018.
"It's as simple and easy to use as possible, and our users can rely on Parallels Desktop for Mac to help them focus on the job at hand."
Parallels Desktop 18 is available in three versions: Standard, Pro and Business, each offering a slightly different set of features and virtual desktops with different levels of performance. The three plans cost €99 or €89,99/year, €119,99 or €99,99/year, and €149 or €119,99/year, respectively.