VirtualBox 7.0 supports Apple Silicon Mac for the first time

The new version 7.0 of the free virtualization software VirtualBox also supports Macs running Apple Silicon for the first time. The new feature, still titled “Developer Preview”, allows you to configure virtual machines with a Windows installation, for example, on the Mac M1 and M2.

However, the VirtualBox developers warn in the release notes that the feature is still being worked on and is therefore not supported. Also, the performance is not particularly good.

No more kernel extensions

The new version also dispenses with its own kernel extensions. The extensions have been superseded by the frameworks provided by Apple. Not everything is working right now, but this is still being worked on. Apple has provided its own interface in recent years and has increasingly restricted the use of kernel extensions by vendors of virtualization solutions. This is intended to increase system security. Other virtual machine vendors like Parallels have taken the plunge before.

Also new in version 7 is the ability to fully encrypt virtual machines. A new screen provides performance information for running virtual machines, and support for DirectX 11 for Windows installations has been introduced. This should improve the 3D graphics.

VirtualBox is published by Oracle and has its origin in Baden-Württemberg at the company InnoTek. Through various acquisitions, VirtualBox was maintained first by Sun and later by Oracle.

(mki)