Parallels Desktop 16 released today, bringing some notable new features and performance improvements to the virtualization software, including full support for macOS Big Sur.
When Apple introduced macOS Big Sur, it ended support for the third-party kernel extensions on which earlier versions of Parallels were built. That forced the developers to engineer the virtualization software from the ground up, but that challenge has now been officially completed.
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While support for Big Sur is the header feature, Parallels 16 also comes with several new features and enhancements. This version claims to start twice as fast and offers a 20 percent improvement in DirectX performance, with OpenGL 3 graphics in Windows and Linux also said to be improved.
There are new multi-touch gestures for Windows apps, such as smooth zoom and rotated multi-touch gestures, while Windows printing (with Shared Printers) allows users to print on both sides and use more paper sizes, from A0 to envelope.
Virtual machines can now be set to automatically return unused disk space at shutdown, and Windows Travel Mode claims that they can increase laptop battery by up to 10 percent.
Elsewhere, Pro Edition users can now name their custom networks, and export virtual machines in a compressed format that is a fraction of their pre-compressed size. Parallels has also launched a plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio to simplify testing on various operating systems.
Finally, in addition to all the work that has gone under the hood to ensure Big Sur compatibility, Parallels 16 also brings a new look to the software that is more in line with Apple’s redesigned interface in macOS 11.
There is currently no word on whether Parallels Windows will run on the upcoming Apple Silicon Macs that Apple announced at WWDC, but Parallels says it will release further information on this further as a rule.
Parallels Desktop 16 requires High Sierra 10.13 or later to run, and can be purchased for a one-time fee of $ 99.99 for the standard edition, with the more feature-loaded Pro and Business editions available at $ 79.99 per year on a subscription basis .
Users with Parallels Desktop 14 and 15 (including Pro and Business Editions) can upgrade to $ 49.99, while students in the United States, Canada, Germany and the UK have access to the reduced price Student Edition. A 14-day trial of the virtualization suite is also available.
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