What Versions of Windows You Can Install

Parallels Desktop for Mac 27 supports installing versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise Editions designed for running on Arm processors. Support for Intel Macs has been deprecated with this version.

Most Macs sold in recent years use Apple silicon processors and are fully supported by Parallels Desktop 27.

While some Windows applications are designed exclusively for Intel (x86/x64) Windows PCs, Microsoft's Prism compatibility technology allows many of them to run on Arm-based systems, including virtual machines. This means that most common productivity, business, and developer applications can run on a Windows 11 virtual machine in Parallels Desktop 27. However, a small number of specialized applications, particularly those that rely on hardware drivers, low-level system components, or certain anti-cheat technologies, may not be compatible.

Parallels regularly tests popular Windows applications for compatibility with our latest software and strives to deliver the best possible performance.

Note: Despite the deprecation of Intel Mac support, Parallels Desktop 27 can import and run x86_64 virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs in Pro, Business, and Enterprise editions. This capability is available as an early technology preview and is intended primarily for migration and testing scenarios. Because x86_64 operating systems must be fully emulated, performance is significantly lower than with native Arm virtual machines, and some functionality may be unavailable or unsupported.

You can find more information in the Advanced Topics section of this guide.

This guide primarily focuses on using Parallels Desktop to run Windows 11, with mention of other operating systems where applicable.