RIP Boot Camp: Microsoft endorses Parallels for Windows on M1 and M2 Macs

If you want to run Windows 11 on an M1 or M2 Mac, you need to use virtualization.

- ROMAN LOYOLA

Apple's switch to its own silicon has a lot of advantages on the Mac, but one major feature was lost in the transition from Intel processors: Boot Camp (fave.co/3Jhht3R), Apple's utility that allows Macs to natively run Windows alongside macOS (fave.co/3SUfpSL). While Boot Camp is still supported in Ventura, you won't find it on an M1 or M2 Mac.

If a user wants to run Windows on one of those newer Macs, the solution is to use the Arm version of Windows through virtualization software. However, Microsoft's licensing restrictions didn't officially allow users to run Windows for Arm on an M-series Mac-even though technically it could be done (fave.co/3ZocBQd).

However, on Thursday Microsoft announced through a support document (fave.co/3ZnvX84) that Parallels Desktop 18 (fave.co/3kM0gGu) is now "authorized" to run Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise on M1 and M2 Macs. The authorization is a big deal because it means that in business environments, Parallels and Windows on Arm can be deployed, and users can get support if they run into problems.