Dev successfully runs ARM Windows virtualization on M1 Mac, says it’s ‘pretty snappy’

erek

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"Graf also noted that “Windows ARM64 can run x86 applications really well. It’s not as fast as Rosetta 2, but close.”

The 8-Bit gave more detail on the process Graf went through to make this happen:

He was able to achieve this by running the Windows ARM64 Insider Preview by virtualizing it through the Hypervisor.framework. This framework allows users to interact with virtualization technologies in user space without having to write kernel extensions (KEXTs), according to Apple.
Moreover, this wouldn’t have been possible without applying a custom patch to the QEMU virtualizer. QEMU is an open-source machine emulator and virtualizer. It’s known for “achieving near-native performance” by executing the guest code directly on the host CPU. So it goes without saying that only ARM guests can be perfectly virtualized on an ARM machine like the M1-supported Macs.
Graf also mentions in one of his tweets that “Windows ARM64 can run x86 applications really well. It’s not as fast as Rosetta 2, but close.”

Graf thinks his process is “definitely reproducible” but that it naturally won’t offer a fully stable system.

For advanced users, you can give the workaround a try (at your own risk) with detailed instructions from Graf here. But for most, using CrossOver, or waiting for Parallels support to land will be ideal."


https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/27/arm-windows-virtualization-m1-mac/
 
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