Can the MacBook Pro (2023) run Windows?

The Apple MacBook Pro (2023) comes with macOS Ventura pre-installed, but can it run Windows — in the off chance that's something you want to do?

The MacBook Pro (2023) is one of the most powerful Macs currently available. As expected, it comes with macOS Ventura pre-installed — just like every recent Mac. If you've been a Mac user for a long time, you might've heard of Apple's Boot Camp macOS app and its ability to install Windows on a Mac computer. Does that mean the MacBook Pro (2023) can run Windows? So, you technically can, but not through Boot Camp or other official means.

Ever since Apple migrated from Intel chips to its own silicon, installing Microsoft Windows on a Mac has become a challenge. The Boot Camp app has been removed from M-powered machines simply because Windows for Arm isn't available to download from the web. While there are Windows machines with Arm chips, these come with the OS pre-installed. So dual-booting macOS and Windows is no longer officially possible.

If you're really keen on running Windows OS on your MacBook Pro (2023), then you can resort to virtualization. Parallels Desktop, for example, can run Windows 11 on your MacBook Pro just fine. It's currently on Parallels Desktop 18, which introduced a host of improvements when it was released last year. However, Windows will run in a virtual sandbox that you run on top of macOS rather than booting into a dedicated Windows environment. As you can imagine, performance and stability might not be as good as natively running the operating system. Nonetheless, it is a valid workaround for those who need Windows on their Mac.

Unsurprisingly, Parallels isn't free, so you will have to buy a license before you can fully utilize it. Right now, a license costs $99 in the U.S. This might sound steep, but it includes access to Linux and macOS virtual machines in addition to Windows. The company does offer a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test the product before committing to the purchase. There are also multiple plans to choose from with various additional features, including advanced virtual networking tools, more virtual RAM, and more.

If you're interested in running Windows 11 on your MacBook Pro (2023) through Parallels, we've prepared a step-by-step guide to help you out.

Parallels Desktop is the software to use if you want to run virtual machines on your Mac. That means you can run Windows, Linux, and other MacOS instances in one place.

The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) models adopt the same exterior chassis first introduced in 2021. They offer boosted M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, a notched display, and more.

Mahmoud is a Beiruti who has always sought freedom through writing. He's been actively testing Apple products for around a decade, and he currently uses an iPhone 14 Pro, MacBook Air M2, iPad Air M1, Apple Watch Series 7, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Max, and HomePod Mini. You’ll likely find him jogging at a park, swimming in open water, brainstorming at a coffeehouse, composing poetry on a rooftop, or merely lost in nature. You can reach out to Mahmoud via Twitter or email.