The Windows 10 for ARM64 virtual machine only works with a limited set of apps, and fewer games will run on it than on the Intel version.įrom Microsoft’s support document on ARM64 compatibility: 64-bit (圆4) apps won’t work. However, this brings us to the biggest drawback of all for Parallels Desktop 16.5 for Mac. Many popular Windows-based games aren’t available for the Mac, and while you can use the Intel-based version of Parallels to run many of them, it’s usually not the best experience. That last bullet point may get gamers’ hearts beating faster.
Virtual machine performance is improved, up to 30 percent faster when a Windows 10 for ARM64 virtual machine is running on an M1-based Mac compared to Windows 10 running on a MacBook Air with an Intel Core i9 chip.This is great news for users of portable Macs, as running Windows historically has been a significant drain on battery life. The greater efficiency of the M1 chip means Parallels Desktop for Mac users 2.5 times less energy than on a 2020 Intel MacBook Air.
The muscle and energy-stingy features of Apple’s M1 processor gives a boost to Parallels, according to the company:
