On an Intel-based Mac, however, users can still run a host of virtual machines, including Windows support all the way back to XP and Windows 2000, and macOS all the way back to 2011's OS X Lion. But, Parallels unequivocally says that when the full version of Windows 11 is released to the public, it'll run on Parallels 17. As of today, the only versions of Windows that Parallels can run on an M1 Mac are the Insider Previews for Windows 10 and Windows 11 - because those versions of the OS are able to run on ARM-based hardware. Apple moving the Mac to ARM architecture means there are now two classes of Macs for Parallels to support. Now, Parallels Desktop 17 is being released with improved performance on M1 Macs, as well as full support for the upcoming macOS Monterey and Windows 11 operating systems.īefore getting into these improvements, though, it's worth taking a moment to talk compatibility. In addition to building a version of Parallels that can run on Chrome OS for the first time, the company also had to figure out how to quickly make its software work with the new, ARM-based M1 Macs that arrived last fall. Parallels, the company best known for its virtualization software that lets you run Windows and Linux directly on your Mac, has had a busy year.
