@AlexA2, DirectX 11 support in Parallels Desktop is the first ever in the virtualized Windows on a Mac. But we will be glad if you share your suggestion for the DirectX12 support at this thread. Maria@Parallels, Aug 15, 2019. If you upgrade to Parallels Desktop 15 from earlier versions, DirectX 11 will become available automatically in Windows after installing new Parallels Tools. With DirectX 11 you can run Windows applications including Autodesk 3ds Max 2020, Autodesk Revit 2020, Lumion, ArcGIS Pro 2.3, Master Series and more.
I have written several times in the Parallels blog about my most favorite game franchise of all time: Age of Empires (Here, here, and here). Since Age of Empires is a Windows game, when I want to play it, I use a Windows virtual machine (VM) in Parallels Desktop – and that is why I write about Age of Empires here.
The last few years have seen a real resurgence in Age of Empires. (“There likely has never been a more vibrant community around this 21-year-old game,” said Jonathan Bolding). Newly released versions of Age of Empires I and Age of Empires II, called Definitive Editions, have fueled this resurgence and I have really enjoyed playing them on my Mac with Parallels Desktop. So, when I was asked if I would like to play the about-to-be-released new Age of Empires III Definitive Edition a few days before its release, I jumped at the chance. Age of Empires III has some major differences from its predecessors, and the new Definitive Edition adds two new cultures, Sweden and Inca. The two new home cities for these new cultures are shown in Figure 1.
We are proud to collaborate with Microsoft and officially support AoE III DE as a platform for playing this game on the Mac.
I used Age of Empires III Definitive Edition on two different Macs: a MacBook Pro and an iMac, both using the same Windows 10 VM. The machine specs and the VM settings are shown in Figure 2.
As expected for any game with “Definitive Edition” in its name, the graphics have been dramatically improved. (Figure 3 and 4).
On both the MacBook Pro and the iMac, the Age of Empires III Definitive Edition game gave me the warning that it couldn’t detect sufficient video RAM (Figure 5).
Youtube App For Macbook Pro
Undoubtedly, this is because Parallels Desktop allocates video RAM for the VM out of Mac system memory and it will provide the video RAM that an app needs (Figure 6), but the game had no way of knowing this. This warning can be ignored, and I detected no issues related to video memory.
At first launch, Age of Empires III Definitive Edition also checks the performance of the hardware, and Figure 7 shows the result of this performance check on my iMac. Please note the CPU score of “Very High” and the GPU score of “Ultra High”.
![Download Download](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118821818/769889065.png)
Because my GPU was rated “Ultra High”, for the Age of Empires III Definitive Edition screenshots (Figure 3 and 4) and the game play video (Video 1), I set all the graphics options to their maximum settings. As you can see in the video, the game play was fine, and the game never froze or crashed.
Now I freely admit that the Macs I used were high-end Macs. I would not recommend that you try to play Age of Empires III Definitive Edition, for example, on a four-year-old MacBook Air with 4GB of RAM. The suggested minimum requirements for a Mac to run Age of Empires III Definitive Edition are:
- Processor: Intel processor, Core i5, i7 or i9
- Memory: 16 GB or more
- Storage: SSD drive
- Graphics: AMD graphics card
These are my first impressions of Age of Empires III Definitive Edition after a few days. I look forward to many more days of playing both Age of Empires III Definitive Edition and Age of Empires II Definitive Edition. Watch for another blog post in a couple of weeks.
Age of Empires III Definitive Edition is available now on the Microsoft Store and on Steam. It is $19.99 and is a 34GB download.
Want to try it yourself on your Mac? Get the free trial of Parallels Desktop.
Recently, I thought of using Windows 10 but without having to switch my loyalty. I tried Apple’s Boot Camp software to install Windows on my Mac. But I didn’t find the software much user-friendly as I had to partition the hard drive to make space for the new operating system. Hence, I thought of giving a chance to an efficient virtual machine like Parallels Desktop 13. Much to my surprise, running Windows 10 on Mac using Parallels Desktop 13 is a lot easier, and you will really like using it!
For those unfamiliar, a virtual machine is basically a virtual simulation of a real machine, which allows you to run a full-fledged operating system on your computer without needing to partition the hard drive. More significantly, you are able to run both the macOS and Windows on your Mac at one go.
How to Install Windows 10 on Mac Using Parallels Desktop 13
Want to have a go at Parallels Desktop? Great! But before jumping ahead with the process, you need to ensure your Mac meets the requirements. As always, make sure to back up your computer so that you remain on the safer side of the fence in case of any untoward incident.
Your Mac Must…
- Your Mac must have 850 MB of disk space on the boot volume
- It must have an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Intel Core M or Xeon processor
- It must have minimum 4GB of memory; though 8GB would a preferable option
- It needs to have an additional disk space
- SSD drive would come very handy especially for boosting performance
- Your Mac must be running OS X Yosemite 10.10.5 or later
Ensure your Mac is compatible with Windows 10
- MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
- MacBook Air (2012 and later)
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- iMac (2012 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017 and later)
- Mac mini (2012 and later)
- Mac mini Server (Late 2012)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
More About the Software…
- Parallels Desktop comes at $79.99 for a standard license. Its Pro Edition and Business Edition are priced at $99.99 per year
- The company offers a free two-week trial. Hence, I would suggest you to first try out the free version of the software to ensure it ideally meets your needs before upgrading to the premium version
- Make sure you have a copy of Windows 10. If you don’t have Windows 10, you can get its copy from within Parallels Desktop
Once you have checked all the requirements, head over with the process:
Step #1. First off, you have to download Parallels Desktop 13 on your Mac.
After the program has been downloaded, double-click on the ParallelsDesktop.dmg file to open it.
Step #2. Now, double-click on Install in the Parallels Desktop window.
Click Open to confirm that you want to install Parallels Desktop.
Step #3. Next, you need to accept the License Agreement.
Step #4. Next up, enter Administrator Name and Password for your Mac.
After you have successfully installed Parallels Desktop installed, you will be directed to a page where you will get the option to download Windows 10.
Just in case you already have a copy of Windows 10, you have the option to skip the step. Just in case you don’t have it, click Install Windows.
Click Skip, if you have it.
Next, you have to click New from the Parallels Desktop drop-down menu. Then, choose your copy of Windows 10 from the available options.
Step #5. Now, you need to sign into your Parallels Desktop account. You get the option to create one if you don’t have an account. Once you have signed up for Parallels Desktop account, Windows 10 will appear in a new window.
![Can You Download Parallels For Macbook Pro Can You Download Parallels For Macbook Pro](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118821818/954220990.png)
Talking about the functionality, it seems very much like you are using a web browser with a virtual simulation of Windows 10 on top. Go ahead and give it a long spin! And don’t forget to let us know your valuable feedback as well as whether or not you’d like to go for its premium version.
That’s pretty much it, folks!
Wrap up:
Yes, macOS is widely considered to be more secure and efficient than Windows. But the gap between the two most popular operating systems has shrunk thanks to the arrival of several imposing features in Windows 10. What do you think of the competition between the two?
You might want to read these posts as well:
Install Apps On Macbook Pro
The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
Can You Download Parallels For Macbook Pro Windows 10
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/