Overview
- Parallels released Desktop 27 in late August as an Apple Silicon–only app and removed support for Intel Macs and Boot Camp while promising periodic updates for version 26 on Intel machines.
- A new Metal‑based OpenGL 4.3 driver raises compatibility for professional Windows apps and delivers company‑reported graphics gains, with Parallels saying up to 2.6× faster performance on M3 and newer chips.
- Desktop 27 enables Windows and Linux virtual machines to use Apple’s Scalable Matrix Extension (SME) on M4/M5 chips, which Parallels says yields up to 7× faster matrix operations and up to 1.75× faster neural network inference for local AI workloads.
- The release fixes multiple vulnerabilities in the virtualization stack, including virtual networking, virtual GPU command processing, and the VirtIO subsystem, and carries ARM SystemReady SR 3.1 (VE band) certification to aid enterprise compatibility.
- Parallels updated Linux tooling and distro support with libfuse3, headless Parallels Tools updates, out‑of‑the‑box support for recent distros, Jamf management hooks for IT, and subscription pricing with limited introductory discounts.