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. DirectX 11 is 60% better on Windows 10 for ARM64 on an M1-based Mac, compared to an Intel-based MacBook Pro that has a Radeon Pro 555X graphics processor.

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:

Parallels versus fusion gaming