Today Parallels announces the release of Parallels Desktop 18 for Mac. Parallels Desktop 18 includes substantial improvements to the core, changes to enable IT managers to deploy Parallels and Windows in their environments, and support for the latest macOS operating systems. For Mac users who need to use Windows applications, Parallels 18 aims to simplify the process and speed up workflows. Users can run more than 200,000 Windows apps and classic games on macOS with Parallels 18. This new version is available in three different flavors, depending on your business (or gaming) needs. Let’s take a look at what’s new.
Parallels 18 Standard Edition
The standard edition of Parallels 18 is optimized for the macOS Ventura release to support new features and functionality and deliver exceptional performance. It includes full support for Apple’s ProMotion display with automatic refresh rate changes and unleashed Apple M1 Ultra performance, allowing users to allocate more resources and get up to 96% faster in Windows 11. For those running Windows games on macOS via Parallels, adds version 18 allows automatic sharing of Xbox or DualShock Bluetooth game controllers with Windows and Linux. It also improves compatibility of Intel applications when running the ARM version of Windows 11. Finally, you’ll find enhanced USB 3.0 support for live data streaming devices, including Elgato HD60, Startech USB 3.0 Video Capture, and more. Once macOS Ventura is released, you will have the option to run the Windows app in Stage Manager.
Pro Edition
Parallels Desktop 18 for Mac Pro Edition includes all the power of the standard edition, plus some other improvements. It consists of a network conditioner on Apple M1 Macs, which allows users to set different network conditions for the virtual machine (bandwidth, packet loss, delay). It isolates Mac virtual machine network on Apple M1 Mac computers for increased security and starts a Minikube cluster with Parallels Desktop as the virtualization provider. It includes the use of network boot with Linux ARM virtual machines now available on Macs running Apple Silicon. Using the enhanced Parallels plugin for Visual Studio, you can quickly analyze the performance of an application in a separate VM.
business edition
By adding all the features of Standard and Pro, the Business edition adds SSO/SAML support for licensing. For IT managers looking to deploy Windows support to their Macs fleet, these features will dramatically simplify the licensing process. Included SSO providers are Azure AD, Okta, Ping, and more. IT administrators can also deploy, provision, or transfer a Windows 11 virtual machine between employee computers. Finally, teams can centrally manage their participation in the Parallels Customer Experience Program in a single portal.
“We are proud of our engineering team who remain at the forefront of innovation to bring our users a remarkably more powerful and seamless Parallels Desktop for Mac experience, integrated with the latest macOS Ventura, optimized for the latest Apple hardware , and provides valuable features for even greater productivity and performance,” said Prashant Ketkar, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Corel. “This is as simple and easy to use as it gets, and our users can rely on Parallels Desktop for Mac to focus on their work.”
Compatibility
On Intel, Parallels 18 supports everything from Windows 2000 to Windows 11 on Microsoft’s side. On the Mac side, it supports any operating system that goes back to Lion. For Linux, it supports Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, Debian GNU, Mint, Red Hat, Suse Linux, and Kali.
On Apple Silicon, it supports Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS Ventura and Monterey, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian GBU, RHEL, CentOS and Kali.
Parallels reported that 99.99% of Intel-based PC applications run great on macOS, including some of the toughest CAD software thanks to Windows 11’s built-in emulation.
Parallels 18 Prizes
Parallels Desktop 18 is sold as a subscription for $99.99 per year or as a perpetual license for $129.99. The Pro edition costs $129.99 per year, while the Business edition costs $149.99 per year (per license). If you have an existing Standard edition license, a perpetual license upgrade costs $69.99, while a Pro Edition subscription upgrade costs $69.99 per year.
9to5Mac’s Take
I’ll have a full review in the coming weeks, but it looks like another strong release from the team at Parallels. I’m particularly interested in the new SSO/SAML support for licensing. I believe this improvement, while not product-oriented, will make product deployment and license management much easier. Parallels has streamlined the installation process for Apple Silicon and eliminated the need to join the Microsoft Insider program to download an ARM-compatible version. During the installation process, Parallels automatically downloads the correct version. Through SaaS apps, Catalyst apps, and web apps, the need for Windows apps on macOS may have diminished for some users. For those looking to play Windows games, use the PC version of Microsoft Office, or have specific PC use cases, Parallels 18 seems like a solid upgrade that builds on the previous version. Download a free trial.
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