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I've been trying to get some apps downloaded onto my Mac, but they mostly seem to be for windows only. That's when I came across UTM. Is it safe and good to use?
Also, is it good in terms of functionality?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
If you're hoping to run high-end Windows games in UTM. forget it. The short version, from the UTM developers themselves, is "Can I run games? No, probably not."
Parallels Desktop virtual machines might be a little more suitable than UTM virtual machines for running Windows games. But running a high-end, Intel-only game that was designed to run
in Windows 11 for ARM in a Parallels virtual machine on an Apple Silicon Mac is a far cry from running the game in a regular Intel version of Windows that is running "on bare metal" on a machine with an Intel or AMD processor.
Parallels – Play Windows games in Parallels Desktop for Mac
Microsoft Support – Windows Arm-based PCs FAQ
Based on these articles, it appears that Parallels does not support the current versions of DirectX and OpenGL – just older ones. Note also the "What limitations should I be aware of when running a Windows 11 Arm-based PC" section of the Microsoft Support FAQ.
Toopda Said:
"Is UTM Virtual Machines safe for running Windows on Mac?: I've been trying to get some apps downloaded onto my Mac, but they mostly seem to be for windows only. That's when I came across UTM. Is it safe and good to use? Also, is it good in terms of functionality?"
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What's your Mac's Processor?
Go to: Apple menu > About This Mac > View: the chip
Using a Virtual Machine to Scan:
If something is Windows-Only, then a VM may make it work with your macOS. All would be accessed and would operate as desired on the VM. Virtual Machine applications include VMWare Fusion and Parallels. Learn more here: What Is a Virtual Machine? - VMWare Support. For a Mac with Silicon processor, you'd only be able to run Widows 11 VM. To run an earlier version of a Windows VM, you'd need an Intel Mac.
Toopda Said:
"Is UTM Virtual Machines safe for running Windows on Mac?: I'm running a Mac air with an m2 chip, no mods"
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Using a Virtual Machine on a Silicon Mac:
Being M2, that means you are using a Silicon mac. So, use one that is able to run Windows. Note that Windows is for Intel-based Macs, but, being that you are using a music newer Mac, you cannot use any versions of Windows prior ro Windows 11.
UTM supports both virtualization (Apple Hypervisor framework or QEMU) and emulation (QEMU only). It might be able to run Intel versions of Windows, on Apple Silicon Macs, in emulation. I do not know if or how well that works. The overhead of running not just applications, but Windows OS code itself, in emulation would be enormous.
If you're hoping to use UTM to run games, note what the UTM developers say about that.
"Can I run games?
No, probably not. UTM does not currently support GPU emulation/virtualization on Windows and therefore lacks support for 3D acceleration (e.g. OpenGL and DirectX). You may be able to run older games with software rendering options, but nothing with hardware acceleration."
FYI,
Windows 11 for ARM can run some off-the-shelf WIndows/Intel applications, using its own emulation / translation code. But there is overhead, and there are limitations – on top of any drawbacks there are to running Windows as the guest OS in a virtual machine.
I'm running a Mac air with an m2 chip, no mods
I have no idea what this really means, can you dumb it down for me??
Is UTM Virtual Machines safe for running Windows on Mac?
