Parallels, the popular way to run Windows, Linux, and even other versions of macOS, has just released version 16 with some exciting new features for those who need virtualization.
The most important aspect of Parallels 16 is that it is ready for macOS Big Sur host and guest when macOS Big Sur is released this fall. One of the main reasons to upgrade a virtualization application every year is to maintain the highest level of compatibility with the latest versions of macOS.
New features of Parallels 16
- DirectX 11 is now up to 20% faster and OpenGL 3 graphics have been improved in Windows and Linux.
- Windows Travel Mode can increase laptop battery life by up to 10 percent longer
- Virtual machines (VMs) can be configured to automatically return unused disk space at shutdown.
- There are new multi-touch gestures for Windows apps, such as smooth zoom and rotated multi-touch gestures.
- Newly improved print when you print from Windows (with Shared Printers) you can print on both sides and use more paper sizes, from A0 to envelope.
- Runs even more Windows application (ProPresenter 6).
- Moved to the Apple hypervisor kext to avoid system extension warnings.
- 3D support for Metal applications in macOS VMs.
Parallels has invested more than 25 years of engineering programs to take full advantage of the new macOS Big Sur architecture and updated kernel extensions to deliver our best Windows-on-Mac performance ever to our Parallels Desktop 16 customers, “said Nick Dobrovolskiy, Parallels Senior Vice President of Engineering and Support. The innovative new features in Parallels Desktop 16 include the world’s first support for Metal applications with 3D capabilities running in a macOS Big Sur virtual machine on a macOS Big Sur host. Performance enhancements include launching twice as fast *, up to 20 percent faster Windows shutdown and shutdown *, faster DirectX and more. ”
Parallels 16 for Mac Pro
If your organization has a fleet of Mac Pros, there are some new features of the Pro release of Parallels that might interest you.
- Assign up to 32 vCPUs and 128 GB vRAM for each VM.
- New Microsoft Visual Studio plug-in simplifies testing of applications
- Name your custom networks for more organized and productive testing.
- You can run and test Microsoft Hyper-V based virtual machines in your Virtual Parallels Desktop machine.
- Complimentary plugins / providers for Vagrant, Docker and Jenkins for developers.
- You can create a new virtual machine from a snapshot of the existing VM. The linked clone occupies only a fraction of disk space used by the parent VM, because it uses disk sectors that are the same for both VMs.
- If you need to transfer a VM elsewhere, you can now export it in a compressed format as a solid file for easier and faster uploading and transfer to new hardware.
Business Edition
For IT departments that need to manage a host of Parallels installations, Parallels 16 has some features to simplify workflows. All of the following features are also included in the Pro Edition.
- Configure virtual machines with pre-installed applications to upload for employees to download and run on their Mac devices.
- Centralized administration provides flexible controls to manage access to new Parallels Desktop upgrades, new feature releases, upgrades and new macOS releases.
- Admin references are no longer required for Parallels Desktop to update itself, making it easier for IT and users to keep up to date if they are not the local admin of the machine.
- Parallels Desktop installation on macOS Big Sur does NET requires system extension approval so that the installation is fast, seamless and does not restart the host Mac.
Additional features
All Parallels subscriptions include Parallels Toolbox 4. It has a way to download audio and video from web pages, secure your screen quickly, prevent your computer from falling asleep and much more. In all, it contains 30 useful utilities.
Parallels Access 6 is also included with a Parallels subscription, and it allows remote users to access five PC or Mac computers from an iPad, iPhone and Android device. It includes support for using a mouse on iPad, as well as a help function for new people, which allows you to generate a link for friends and family and let them install a pre-configured copy of Access so you can help them purchase a copy.
Prices
Parallels 16 can be purchased for $ 99.99. If you have one for the subscription ($ 79.99 per year), you just need to check for updates, and it will be available for download. If your Parallels are 14 or 15, you can upgrade for $ 49.99.
Wrap up
The release of Parallels 16 comes on the heels of Parallels Mac Management 8.5 and adds new functionality for iPad and iPhone management. As always, there is a free trial version available for Parallels if you want to compare it with your current virtualization software
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