Running Windows on a Mac in a virtual machine is a solved problem with one decision at the front that determines everything after it: which processor the VM will emulate. On Apple silicon that answer is forced, and the consequences run through the whole setup.
The Decision: ARM or x86
An Apple silicon Mac runs the ARM64 build of Windows 11. That is the version Microsoft publishes for ARM hardware, and it is the only one that runs at usable speed in a VM on these machines.
The alternative — emulating an x86 PC to run the standard Windows build — is possible and slow. It works for occasional use of a specific program and is painful for anything sustained. If you need it, that is a different article and a different expectation of performance.
The practical consequence of ARM Windows: most applications run, including 32-bit and 64-bit x86 ones through Windows’s own translation layer. What breaks is anything that installs a kernel driver — some VPN clients, some anti-cheat systems, older hardware utilities.
Getting the Installer
You need a Windows 11 ARM64 ISO. Microsoft distributes it through its own download pages and through the Windows Insider channels; the file is a standard ISO and installs the same way as any other.
You also need a licence. Windows 11 runs unactivated with limitations, which is fine for testing and not fine for work.
Pick a VM Application
Parallels is the most integrated option: it offers a guided Windows installation, shares the Mac’s folders and clipboard, and handles the display scaling well. It is the choice when Windows is part of a daily workflow rather than an experiment.
UTM is the open-source route: a QEMU front end that runs ARM64 guests natively on Apple silicon and can also emulate x86. It is free, more configurable, and expects you to know what a virtual disk image is.
VMware Fusion is the enterprise-flavoured option, with good support for snapshots and networking configurations. Our guide to VM apps for Mac compares all of them in more detail.
The Setup, in Order
- Create a new VM and select the ARM64 Windows 11 profile if the app offers one — picking the wrong architecture produces an installer that fails at the first reboot.
- Allocate memory. Half the Mac’s RAM is a reasonable default; more than that makes the host unhappy.
- Attach the ISO as the boot volume.
- Install, and let Windows reboot the VM as many times as it wants.
- Install the guest tools — the driver package the VM app provides. Without it, the display is unaccelerated and the clipboard does not work.
Step 5 is the one people skip and then blame the VM for being slow.
What Will Not Work
Games with anti-cheat. Kernel-level anti-cheat does not run under translation and often does not run in a VM at all.
Hardware-dependent software. Anything that expects a specific GPU or a dongle will find neither.
Very old Windows software. 16-bit installers have no path on ARM Windows.
An Alternative Worth Knowing
If the goal is one Windows program rather than Windows, a compatibility layer may be enough and avoids the licence and the disk image entirely. Our guide to running Windows apps on Mac covers that route — it is a smaller commitment and fails on a smaller set of programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Mac run the same Windows 11 build as a PC?
On Apple silicon, no. The VM runs the ARM64 build of Windows 11, which is the version Microsoft publishes for ARM hardware. Most applications work, including through its own x86 translation layer, but drivers and anything that installs a kernel component are the usual failures.
Do I need a Windows licence for a virtual machine?
Yes, for anything beyond the unactivated state. Windows 11 requires activation and a VM is a separate installation. Check Microsoft's licensing terms for virtual use before you rely on it for work.
