Parallels has released the latest version of Parallels Desktop for Mac – version 18 – which brings some significant improvements to the virtual machine experience on Mac. Among these improvements are a better gaming experience on Windows, improved support for ProMotion displays, and better performance. The update also adds full support for the upcoming macOS Ventura update, so you can run Parallels Desktop on it, but also create macOS Ventura VMs inside Parallels.
The list of changes is significant, starting with making it easier to install Windows 11 on Intel-based Macs with a single click. You can now download and install the Windows 11 VM more easily, but this is still not suitable for Apple M-series Macs because Microsoft does not officially distribute installation files for Arm-based versions of Windows. Therefore, you still have to download the latest build from the Windows Insider website. However, M-series Macs also have new capabilities, so you can choose which version of Windows 11 you want to install during setup.
Parallels Desktop 18 also has better support for ProMotion displays in Windows virtual machines. Now, if your Mac has a ProMotion display and you change the panel’s refresh rate in macOS, Windows will automatically change its refresh rate to match, so the experience should be much smoother. Additionally, Parallels has added support for Bluetooth controllers so you can connect a console like the Xbox Wireless Controller, and it will simply run in Windows when the VM is running. If you play with a mouse, there is also improved gaming resolution.
This update also improves support for USB 3.0 devices in virtual machines, so you can use devices like webcams and capture cards to stream inside a virtual machine. In addition, the network driver used for Linux and Windows now supports jumbo Ethernet frames. And speaking of Linux, the latest version of Parallels Desktop adds support for network booting for Arm-based Linux machines as well.
Another notable upgrade, although this is only available on the Pro version of Parallels Desktop 18, is the ability to map more RAM and more CPU cores to a Windows VM on a Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip. You can allocate up to 18 CPU cores and 62GB of RAM to the virtual machine, resulting in up to 96% faster performance on Windows 11. Previously, M series Macs could allocate up to 8 CPU cores and 32 GB of RAM to VMs.
Other changes in this release include improvements to shared folders for better compatibility with Intel-based Windows applications on M-series Macs, some design tweaks, and easier network settings that attempt to prevent user errors and conflict with macOS settings. For Pro versions, you can also use the network conditioner to simulate specific network conditions in a virtual machine, and for the business version, Single Sign-On (SSO) is now an option to set up Parallels Desktop.
You can find a file The full list of changes in Parallels Desktop 18 is here. If you haven’t done so yet, you can purchase a Parallels Desktop license from Official Website, with the standard license available as an annual subscription or a one-time subscription. If you have a subscription, the upgrade to Parallels Desktop 18 is free.
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