Reviews for Apple’s new M1 devices have been overwhelmingly positive, and though the company has offered a smooth transition for older apps that haven’t been developed with Apple’s silicon in mind, one big question remains is whether Windows will come to M1.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ars Technica, Apple’s VP of software engineering Craig Federighi has confirmed that it’s possible to run Windows natively on M1 Macs.
However, he said it was “up to Windows” on how and when the software would be released.
Right now, the ARM version of Windows cannot be used by Apple, which means that users can only run Windows on the Mac via dedicated software.
Speaking earlier in the month to The Verge, Microsoft said it didn’t have news to share in regards to making Windows compatible on M1 MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac minis, though didn’t rule out an introduction.
Right now, several third-party developers have managed to get Windows apps running on Apple Silicon Macs, though this is through virtualization rather than offering a default service.
Craig Federighi told Ars Technica that Apple’s M1 Macs could run Windows comfortably, but added that Apple had no control over when the software would be released, as it was owned by Microsoft. Speaking of the news, he said: “We have the core technologies for them to do that, to run their ARM version of Windows, which in turn, of course, supports x86 user-mode applications. But that’s a decision Microsoft has to make, to bring to license that technology for users to run on these Macs. But the Macs are certainly very capable of it.”
Are you looking forward to Windows 10 support on M1 Macs? Let us know and check back soon for more news and rumors on everything Apple, right here on AppleMagazine.com.
