Microsoft has officially approved a way to run Windows 11 on ARM-based Macs, if not in the way you hoped. In a new support article, the company has licensed Parallels Desktop 18 to run ARM versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on M1 and M2-based Macs. If you need Windows For work, you could theoretically use a virtual machine without pissing off your IT manager.

As you can probably guess, there are limitations. You can’t run 32-bit ARM apps, partly because Microsoft has deprecated 32-bit software for all ARM Windows versions. They won’t work unless the device has Windows 11 ARM drivers. You can’t use anything that depends on another layer of virtualization Examples include Android applications Linux sybsystem and Windows Sandbox. Don’t expect to run some games, as anything that requires at least DirectX 12 or OpenGL 3.3 won’t work.

It’s been possible to run Windows 11 in Parallels on ARM Macs since 2021, and it even works reasonably well. You’d need to use an Insider preview of the operating system, though, and Microsoft said at the time that it didn’t plan to support the new Macs. sanctioned method cleared Licensing issues and Parallels Desktop 18 now lets you download and install Windows 11 effortlessly.

Microsoft will support Windows 11 on updated Macs through Parallels

As The Verge explains, it’s not sure how Microsoft will change the licensing — until now it’s only licensed the ARM version of Windows directly to PC vendors. We have consulted the company. Parallels says you can purchase a separate Windows 11 Pro license or through your The employer’s usual procurement process.

This won’t satisfy users who want native Windows support like they do with Intel-based Macs running Apple’s Boot Camp. You won’t get the performance or compatibility you’d get on a PC built for ARM-based Windows. This may be the closest you will get to Apple and Microsoft, though, might succeed if there were Windows productivity apps that had to run.