Unfortunately if the vendor is not providing a driver compiled for Windows ARM, using Fusion on Apple Silicon to develop an application that needs that device won't work.
I'm assuming that if you're using Fusion on an Intel Mac that your device has a USB interface. UTM does have the ability to access USB devices (running your VM in Intel CPU emulation) and it may work.
I wonder how long it's going to take for vendors to develop drivers for Windows ARM - Microsoft is sure pushing it now.
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 16, 2025 01:52 PM
From: Alex_Ma
Subject: Running Windows AMD64 on Apple silicon
Performance is not the main issue. I can install Windows 11, but I work with hardware for which only amd64 drivers exist. It works great with Fusion on Intel MacBook Pro, with one exception. But I am not sure if this will work on M chips.
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 16, 2025 01:29 PM
From: Technogeezer
Subject: Running Windows AMD64 on Apple silicon
UTM would give you an opportunity to develop for Windows 10 x86_64, but as @DrBigJim notes, performance will be slower than you'd want.
A side comment: Windows 10 Home and Pro are reaching end-of-support on October 14, 2025. (users can get a 1 year extension by buying extended security support - but that only delays the inevitable for 1 year). Have you considered a move to Windows 11?
What kind of external devices do you need to attach to? If they are USB devices and they have a Windows ARM driver, developing on Windows ARM and targeting both ARM and x86_64 (AMD64) might not be out of the question.
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- Paul (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 16, 2025 01:13 PM
From: Alex_Ma
Subject: Running Windows AMD64 on Apple silicon
Thanks for clarifying. It looks like M chips are out of the question for me for foreseeable future.
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 16, 2025 10:06 AM
From: Technogeezer
Subject: Running Windows AMD64 on Apple silicon
Fusion on Apple Silicon will not run ANY operating system built for Intel x86 or x86_64 processors. The only version of Windows that runs under Fusion on Apple SiliconMacs is Windows 11 ARM.
Apple claims it supports AMD64 simulation, but the examples all use Windows ARM builds.
Apple provides Rosetta 2 translation for apps written on Intel Macs so they can run on Apple Silicon Macs. Rosetta 2 does not support virtualization of operating systems that run on Intel or AMD processors - this is a documented Apple restriction
if you want to run AMD64 operating systems on Apple Silicon Macs, you'll need to use a product that contains an Intel CPU full chip emulator, such as UTM
See the Unofficial Fusion for Apple Silicon Companion Guide for a more detailed discussion.
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- Paul (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
Original Message:
Sent: Apr 16, 2025 07:12 AM
From: Alex_Ma
Subject: Running Windows AMD64 on Apple silicon
Could someone please clarify if Fusion supports AMD64 simulation for running Windows 10? I am developing desktop application for Windows AMD64 and I need to be able to attach external devices. So far Intel i9 MacBook Pro works fine for me, but I want to make sure the upgrade will not break this functionality.
I was looking for information online, but I am getting mixed reports. On one hand, Apple claims it supports AMD64 simulation, but the examples all use Windows ARM builds.