Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest operating system, has been on the minds of Windows devotees since its rumored appearance on the web and official release on June 24. However, some Mac users have been keeping an eye on the operating system, waiting to hear when, if ever, their machine of choice will be compatible with Windows 11. Parallels’ solution is simplistic: Windows 11 is coming to Mac, although no specific dates have indeed been announced.
Parallels, the macOS virtualization app, is working on bringing compatibility to Mac users in upcoming Parallels releases, according to iMore. “The Parallels Engineering team is waiting for the official Windows 11 Insider Preview build to start studying changes introduced in the new OS to deliver full compatibility in future Parallels Desktop updates,” revealed Parallels SVP of Engineering and Support Nick Dobrovolskiy to iMore. The official date for those updates, however, was not mentioned.
Microsoft officially released the first Windows 11 Insider Preview on June 28. Even though Parallels hasn’t announced support for that build, a simple search on Twitter suggests that many people have been able to use the company’s virtualization software to test Windows 11 on their Mac hardware. Almost all of those folks have also demonstrated that it is possible to run the Windows 11 Insider Preview build on Macs equipped with the M1 processor.
The company recently updated the Parallels software in April to provide complete support of Apple silicon and M1 chip, along with a massive increase in the performance and power use, allowing Mac users who are willing to use Windows on a Mac with ease. Parallels are now fully supported on devices like the M1 MacBook Pro, M1 MacBook Air, and the latest M1 iMac; the company now looks forward to the upcoming build of Windows.
It seems Microsoft is confident in TPM 2.0 to protect the security and safety of Windows 11 users. However, the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 have become more complex since Microsoft has removed its tool for evaluating PC compatibility. However, it appears that the company is willing to change the policies to accommodate other markets such as China and Russia. Parallels’ recent commitment to bringing Windows 11 on Macs raises the question of how relevant the TPM security requirement is in the first place.
Although Parallels supports a virtualized TPM for Windows 10, it is only compatible with Intel-based Macs. While the company has announced a dedicated version for M1-powered Macs but no time frame has been revealed. Developers may design a virtualized TPM 2.0 solution for the ARM-based M1 Mac, but this could not comply with Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements. But unless Microsoft makes an exception for virtualized environments that includes VMWare, TPM would not be a strict requirement for Windows 11 after all.
