Parallels has announced Parallels Desktop 18 for Mac, a new update to its popular desktop virtualization utility that brings full support for the ProMotion displays in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, improved performance on the M1 Ultra chip, and more.
The update brings full support for Apple’s ProMotion display with automatic refresh rate changes. as well as full support for Apple M1 Ultra providing performance improvements with “up to 96% faster Windows 11” performance compared to previous versions of Parallels.
Parallels Desktop 18 also offers an improved Windows 11 installation experience and also brings the ability to use a game controller on Windows 11 on the Mac. Users can now simply connect a game controller to their Mac, switch to Windows, and start playing.
The update also brings a smoother Windows UI and video playback, a higher frame rate, and much more.
Key Parallels Desktop 18 features
Parallels Desktop 18 for Mac Standard Edition:
- Optimized for the upcoming macOS Ventura release to support new features, functionality, and deliver exceptional performance.
- Full support for Apple’s ProMotion display with automatic refresh rate changes and unleashed Apple M1 Ultra performance allowing users to assign more resources and get up to 96% faster Windows 11.
- Seamless Windows gaming experience with automatic sharing of Xbox or DualShock Bluetooth game controllers with Windows and Linux.
- Improved compatibility of Intel (x86) applications when running Windows 11 on ARM, specifically when saving and reading files from the Mac disk.
- Improved USB 3.0 to support live data streaming devices, including Elgato HD60, Startech USB 3.0 Video Capture, and more.
Parallels Desktop 18 for Mac Pro Edition (Offers all the power of the standard edition, plus these unique capabilities):
- Optimized for the upcoming macOS Ventura release to support new features, functionality, and deliver exceptional performance.
- Powerful network conditioner on Apple M1 Macs enabling users to set up various network conditions for the virtual machine (bandwidth, packet loss, delay) similar to both Windows and Linux virtual machines.
- Isolate virtual machine network from Mac on Apple M1 Mac computers for better security and start a Minikube cluster with Parallels Desktop as a virtualization provider.
- Ability to use network boot with Linux ARM virtual machines now available on Mac computers with Apple M1 chips.
- Easily analyze an application performance in a separate VM using the enhanced Parallels plug-in for Visual Studio.
Parallels Desktop 18 for Mac Business Edition (Builds on the power of the Pro edition with additional functionality, including):
- Optimized for the upcoming macOS Ventura release to support new features, functionality, and deliver exceptional performance.
- Convenient SSO/SAML authentication for employees to sign in and activate Parallels Desktop with a corporate account.
- Allows admins to deploy, provision, or transfer a Windows 11 virtual machine across employees’ Mac computers.
- Manage Parallels customer experience program participation centrally in Parallels My Account.
The Standard Edition of Parallels 18 for Mac is priced at $99.99 per year or $129.99 for a one-time perpetual license to the current version, with students eligible for a discounted price of $49.99 per year. The Pro Edition is priced at $119.99 per year, while the Business Edition is priced at $149.99 per year. For more information, visit the Parallels website.
