It’s known for “achieving near-native performance” by executing the guest code directly on the host CPU. QEMU is an open-source machine emulator and virtualizer. Moreover, this wouldn’t have been possible without applying a custom patch to the QEMU virtualizer. This framework allows users to interact with virtualization technologies in user space without having to write kernel extensions (KEXTs), according to Apple. He was able to achieve this by running the Windows ARM64 Insider Preview by virtualizing it through the amework.

The 8-Bit gave more detail on the process Graf went through to make this happen: It’s not as fast as Rosetta 2, but close.” Graf also noted that “Windows ARM64 can run x86 applications really well.

#QEMU patches for reference: /G1Usx4TcvL- Alexander Graf November 26, 2020 Who said Windows wouldn't run well on #AppleSilicon? It's pretty snappy here 😁. But in the meantime, The 8-Bit discovered that developer Alexander Graf was able to make some tweaks to get his M1 Mac running the OS as a virtualization and even highlighted that “It’s pretty snappy here 😄.” We may be some time away from Microsoft changing its mind on its Windows ARM policy for running natively on Macs (if it does).

And previously, Microsoft said it didn’t have any news to share when The Verge asked about it making a change to allow Boot Camp on ARM Macs. Microsoft’s current licensing doesn’t allow its ARM version of Windows 10 to be used by Apple (since it’s not preinstalled). Last week we heard from Apple’s VP of software engineering Craig Federighi that the ARM version of Windows 10 could run natively on Apple Silicon M1 Macs but was “really up to Microsoft.” Now a developer has found a workaround enabling the first virtualization of ARM Windows running successfully on an M1 Mac and claims the performance is “pretty snappy.”Īs Federighi explained that M1 Macs could certainly run the ARM Version of Windows 10 but that it would be up to Microsoft, we detailed the trouble Apple currently is running into and why it can’t offer Boot Camp with Apple Silicon Macs:

Virtualize mac on windows