VMware Fusion Tech Preview Brings Windows 11 to Apple Silicon Macs

VMware this week announced that its latest VMware Fusion update brings Windows 11 support to both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. Available as a free tech preview, the 2H22 version of Fusion will finally allow Apple silicon Mac users to download and use Windows on their machines through virtualization.

vmware fusion windows
Features include Windows 11 support with 2D GFX and networking, VMtools installation for Windows on Apple silicon machines, improved Linux support on Apple silicon machines, and more.

  • Windows 11 on Intel and Apple Silicon with 2D GFX and Networking
  • VMtools installation for Windows 11 GOS on M1
  • Improved Linux support on ‌M1‌
  • 3D Graphics HW Acceleration and OpenGL 4.3 in Linux VMs* (Requires Linux 5.19+ & Mesa 22.1.3+)
  • Virtual TPM Device
  • Fast Encryption
  • Universal Binary

While the new functionality was designed with Windows 11 in mind, VMware says the tools can be used with other VMs too. At the current time, Fusion on Apple silicon devices is "still a work in progress" and there are some limitations to be aware of.

  • Fusion will not support running VMs across different architectures. (I.e. no x86_64 VMs on ‌M1‌ Macs).
  • macOS virtual machines are out of scope for this release, but it's something we're looking into.
  • Ubuntu 20.04.4 and 22.04 for arm64 are not currently booting (Ubuntu 20.04.4 builds from July 5 and onward) We are working to resolve this.

VMware says that it is looking for feedback from users in order to iron out kinks and add new capabilities in preparation for more formal support later this year. While in the testing period, VMware Fusion will be free to use. The VMware Fusion Tech Preview can be downloaded from the VMware website.

Tag: VMware

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.1 With Liquid Glass Toggle, Slide to Stop Alarm, New Apple Intelligence Languages and More

Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.1 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
Early Black Friday Deals 2

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Sunday November 2, 2025 10:04 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...

Top Rated Comments

Yebubbleman Avatar
43 months ago

So no x64 Windows on M1 still.
Bro, that was never in the cards. That requires an emulator. VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop are not emulator products the way Connectix/Microsoft Virtual PC was for PowerPC; they're Hypervisors.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dysamoria Avatar
43 months ago

Windows 11 has an x64 emulator out of the box.

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2020/12/10/introducing-x64-emulation-in-preview-for-windows-10-on-arm-pcs-to-the-windows-insider-program/
Oh boy, alpha software on a beta OS.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randomthoughts Avatar
43 months ago

So what’s the point of running Windows 11 if you can’t run x86 apps?
You can. Just like Rosetta 2, Windows 11 has an out of the box emulator to launch and run the apps transparently.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmonster Avatar
43 months ago

Then why does the article state:

“Fusion will not support running VMs across different architectures. (I.e. no x86_64 VMs on M1 Macs).”
You can't run x64 windows, but you can run ARM windows, and ARM windows can run x64 windows apps/binaries via its equivalent to Rosetta 2
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
43 months ago
It's kind of dead out of the gate without the x86 W11 capability. I know that the limitations and difficulties aren't VMware's fault - its a huge downside for me of the AS platform as Windows VMs were so handy for my line of work. I moved ahead anyway as I couldn't stand the noise of those i9s any longer.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randomthoughts Avatar
43 months ago

Likely not going to happen. As long as there is Windows on Arm this will be the focus.
Windows 11 has an x64 emulator out of the box.

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2020/12/10/introducing-x64-emulation-in-preview-for-windows-10-on-arm-pcs-to-the-windows-insider-program/
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)