Developer Successfully Virtualizes Windows for Arm on M1 Mac

[MacRumors]

Developer Alexander Graf has successfully virtualized the Arm version of Windows on an M1 Mac, proving that the M1 chip is capable of running Microsoft's operating system (via The 8-Bit).

Currently, Macs with the M1 chip do not support Windows and there is no Boot Camp feature as there is on Intel Macs, but support for Windows is a feature that many users would like to see.

Using the open-source QEMU virtualizer, Graf was able to virtualize the Arm version of Windows on Apple's M1 chip, with no emulation. Since the M1 chip is a custom Arm SoC, it is no longer possible to install the x86 version of Windows or x86 Windows apps using Boot Camp, as was the case with previous Intel-based Macs. However, he said in a Tweet that when virtualized on an M1 Mac, "Windows ARM64 can run x86 applications really well. It's not as fast as Rosetta 2, but close."

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1332081983879569415

Graf was able to run the Windows ARM64 Insider Preview by virtualizing it through the Hypervisor.framework. Apple says this allows users to interact with virtualization technologies without having to write kernel extensions (KEXTs).

Graf applied a custom patch to the QEMU virtualizer, which is said to be known for "achieving near-native performance" by executing the guest code directly on the host CPU. This means that the Arm version of Windows can be virtualized on M1 Macs with excellent performance.

Although Graf's experiment is still at an early stage, he believes others could reproduce his results. "It's early days for this. It's definitely possible to reproduce my results - all patches are on the mailing list - but don't expect a stable, fully functional system yet," he said. Above all, Graf has demonstrated that Windows is able to run on M1 Macs.

Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi recently said that Windows coming to M1 Macs is "up to Microsoft." The M1 chip contains the core technologies needed to run Windows, but Microsoft has to decide whether to license its Arm version of Windows to Mac users.

See Graf's full process for virtualizing the Arm version of Windows for more information.

Article Link: Developer Successfully Virtualizes Windows for Arm on M1 Mac

 

[Elijen]

This is not that big of a news. Windows lacks something like Rosetta so running the ARM version is much more painful. You can't run x86 apps.

 

[Marbles1]

Impressive.

And running x86 applications too.

Certainly seems technically possible that we'll see windows on M1 Macs at some point in the future. Once it has feature / stability parity with Windows on intel Mac I'll consider moving across... Probably a wee while for this to include support for DirectX, Windows games running on steam and so on.

 

[vionc]

sooner or later, Im sure microsoft will sell an ARM version of windows.

 

[Alan Wynn]

This is not that big of a news. Windows lacks something like Rosetta so running the ARM version is much more painful. You can't run x86 apps.

Actually it does have something like Rosetta 2 (just not as good). From the article: "Windows ARM64 can run x86 applications really well. It's not as fast as Rosetta 2, but close."

 

[sfwalter]

sooner or later, Im sure microsoft will sell an ARM version of windows.

I wonder if it will cost just an arm or an arm and a leg....Sorry for the bad joke.

 

[apparatchik]

Its a matter of time for Microsoft to make the move, they have taken notice of the M1 of course, I assume within a year an officially supported/licensed version of windows will be runnable on AS, including its 32 bit emulator, is it gonna be great? of course it wont its windows, but, maybe the near-native performance and just the fact ARM as a viable platform will get a boost! I really hope Apple keep improving its GPU's, who knows, maybe in ten years it will be the go-to platform for gaming...

 

[Eddy Munn]

What would be quicker? Virtualising Windows 10 ARM and translating x86 apps using Windows, or Translating Windows 10 x86?

 

[sfwalter]

In the end, it will come down to Microsoft licensing. My guess there are some deals already being worked out. I doubt Parallels would spend the engineering resources to bring it to the M1 chip to only virtualize Linux. As I think that is a very, very small use case compared to Windows.

 

[jav6454]

Now you have to find developers willing to spend resources on developing ARM-native applications of the x86 counterparts for Windows.

Not a simple task given that the market for an ARM Windows solution is so small. You’ll be best to allow Windows to run Rosetta style emulation.

 

[apparatchik]

In the end, it will come down to Microsoft licensing. My guess there are some deals already being worked out. I doubt Parallels would spend the engineering resources to bring it to the M1 chip to only virtualize Linux. As I think that is a very, very small use case compared to Windows.

Exactly, macOS is in the end more or less a Unix distribution, with near native cross-compatibility with Linux, besides, Linux fans -until now at least- don't usually go Apple, Windows is coming to AS Macs sooner or later IMHO.

 

[macintologist]

How about running full screen Windows games from the 2000s like UT2004? Cant run this on 64bit Macs anymore.

 

[NewUsername]

Does that mean we should get 16GB RAM because Windows is so inefficient with memory?

 

[RobbieTT]

Meanwhile, on my M1 Mac mini:

I wonder why they made the effort to compile and install it as a default app...

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

Impressive.

And running x86 applications too.

Certainly seems technically possible that we'll see windows on M1 Macs at some point in the future. Once it has feature / stability parity with Windows on intel Mac I'll consider moving across... Probably a wee while for this to include support for DirectX, Windows games running on steam and so on.

Considering hardly any applications on Windows for ARM have been ported, not even all of MS apps, anything you did with this would be emulation on top of emulation for most Windows apps running in Windows on a M1. A big fat no thanks.

 

[mi7chy]

What's so surprising? Windows on ARM was unofficially made to run on Raspberry Pi 3 almost two years ago.

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

I am finally at a point (have been for a bit) that I have ZERO desire or need to run Windows on a Mac. It is a nice feeling.

I do run Microsoft apps, since my company uses Microsoft 365. Even then I only use what I need to and often from the Web Apps.

I recently migrated my OneNote notes back to Notes because Microsoft can't make up its mind about which version of OneNote to use. The iOS versions of OneNote has just gotten slower and slower and Notes has added all the features I need to make the change.

 

[Kastellen]

What's so surprising? Windows on ARM was unofficially made to run on Raspberry Pi 3 almost two years ago.

I wouldn't say it is surprising so much as encouraging.

 

[rjohnstone]

Does that mean we should get 16GB RAM because Windows is so inefficient with memory?

Guess you haven't used Windows in a while.
Runs very well even on computers with 4GB of ram.
Some apps are poorly optimized, but Win 10 is not the issue. 8GB seems to be the standard build these days.

 

[NewUsername]

Guess you haven't used Windows in a while.
Runs very well even on computers with 4GB of ram.
Some apps are poorly optimized, but Win 10 is not the issue. 8GB seems to be the standard build these days.

All right, I probably shouldn’t blame Windows just because the games I play on Windows are all so inefficient with memory. ?

 

[VictorTango777]

How about GPU performance? That has always been the bottleneck for Windows virtualization on Macs.

 

[VictorTango777]

All right, I probably shouldn’t blame Windows just because the games I play on Windows are all so inefficient with memory. ?

Do what Mac users do for all Mac issues - blame the user or the application developer ?

 

[Frantisekj]

I was wondering just today why haven't anyone done/tried it Great job.

 

[derekamoss]

All right, I probably shouldn’t blame Windows just because the games I play on Windows are all so inefficient with memory. ?

I've seen it running on 2gb ram on really cheap tablets before. The OS itself is really good on it. It's quick and only utilizes 1.5gb ram. Now opening more than one app is a different story but speed wise I was really surprised.

 

[mi7chy]

All right, I probably shouldn’t blame Windows just because the games I play on Windows are all so inefficient with memory. ?

All demanding games even Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 run within 8GB DRAM on Windows.