Run Windows 11 and Play LOL on an M1 MacBook with Parallels Desktop
This guide walks through installing Windows 11 on an Apple M1 MacBook using Parallels Desktop, explores gaming performance with League of Legends, highlights the latest Parallels features and M1 optimizations, and answers whether Windows 11 can run Android apps, offering a practical virtualization solution for macOS users.
Challenge: Running LOL Again
After installing Windows 11 on an M1 MacBook with Parallels Desktop, the author launched WeGame and League of Legends, managed to enter the game, recorded a video, and noted performance limits due to a CPU bottleneck, suggesting cloud gaming as an alternative.
New Features in the Latest Parallels Version
1. Enhanced Coherence Mode
Coherence mode embeds Windows apps directly into macOS, allowing copy‑paste between systems.
2. M1‑Specific Optimizations
Windows can read Mac battery status and enable power‑saving mode.
Virtual TPM enables BitLocker and Secure Boot.
Dynamic resolution support for Linux VMs.
3. Performance Improvements
Up to 33% faster boot for Windows 10 on ARM.
Up to 20% faster disk I/O.
Up to 28% higher DirectX 11 graphics performance.
4. Included Parallels Toolbox 5
Parallels Toolbox provides a collection of macOS utilities.
Step‑by‑Step Windows 11 VM Installation
Download an ARM Windows 10/11 ISO (official Insider Preview or other sources), open Parallels, and let it automatically detect the image.
Choose your preferred VM configuration, then click Continue.
The installer runs for about five minutes, after which Windows 11 is ready to use.
Can Windows 11 Run Android Apps?
The current Windows 11 release does not support Android apps, although Microsoft has announced future native support via the Amazon App Store.
Conclusion
Parallels Desktop offers the most seamless way to run Windows on macOS for everyday use, outperforming heavier solutions like VirtualBox or VMware.
macrozheng
Dedicated to Java tech sharing and dissecting top open-source projects. Topics include Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Docker, Kubernetes and more. Author’s GitHub project “mall” has 50K+ stars.
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