Let’s start with some clarifications: Apple and macOS do not have a proprietary virtualization system open to users – unlike Microsoft which has, for example, Hyper-V – but they open the platform to third-party software. UTM not only lets you install the latest Windows 11 on your M1 Mac, but you can also virtually install older Windows iterations and other OS’ like Ubuntu, Debian, and Arch Linux.ARM virtualization and x86 emulation on the new Apple Silicon M1 CPU chips Will I only be able to run Windows OS on M1 Macs with UTM? So, UTM is great, but not for intensive gaming.

Also, it lacks support for DirectX and OpenGL.īut it is worth noting that you will be able to play older titles using software rendering options. That being said, you can run the Windows apps, but it won’t let you play new games since it doesn’t support GPU virtualization as of yet. Unlike Parallels, which actually offers smooth gameplay of Windows games on Mac virtually, the UTM software only helps you get a taste of the latest Windows on your system. But if you want to run free apps and experiment with the latest Windows 11 on your M1 Macs, then it is a great tool. The software that you’d install using UTM won’t offer as high performance as Parallels. However, since it’s free, it does have certain limitations. UTM is an easy-to-use open-source software that brings easy installation and lets you run Windows apps on your M1 Macs for free. UTM is completely free, so it is a great alternative to Parallels and VMware.

Well, in case you don’t want to pay a hefty price for running virtual machine software on the new M1 Macs, UTM is best for you. On the other hand, VMware, which is currently free, comes with a very limited set of options, and also the performance is slower than UTM. Parallels, which is one of the most-used apps for running VM software on Macs, only offers 14 days of a free trial.Īfter the free trial, users need to pay $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 per year for the pro edition. However, running virtual machine software on Mac devices comes at a price. Parallels and VMware are two popular apps for running VM (virtual machine) software on your Mac. That’s how you can easily run Windows 11 virtually on M1 Macs using UTM for free.

There you go! Now, you’ll see the full-fledged Windows 11 installed on your M1 Mac. Lastly, restart Windows on the virtual machine. Now, press Control + option on your keyboard to bring up the mouse cursor and make it full screen by clicking on the green maximize button.Ĥ.

Windows 11 on mac m1