Last week, Parallels reported that the Parallels Desktop for Mac software has not yet been tested on the MacBook Neo. Following the release of Apple’s $599 laptop, Parallels returned with an update regarding virtual machine compatibility.

The good news is that virtualization appears to be supported on the MacBook Neo. Apple supports virtual machines on M-series chips. However, this was uncertain since the MacBook Neo uses an A-series chip. Previously, Apple only used A-series chips in iPhones and some iPads.

The latest news from Parallels is as follows:

Parallels Desktop is working on basic usability tests on the MacBook Neo. The Parallels engineering team has completed initial tests and confirmed that the installation of Parallels Desktop and the operation of virtual machines on the MacBook Neo are stable. Full validation and performance testing are ongoing, and additional compatibility statements will be made if necessary.

The company states that tests will continue for further validation:

The initial tests confirm that the A18 Pro provides the necessary hardware virtualization support to run virtual machines via Parallels Desktop. Full validation for all supported guest operating systems and use cases is still ongoing.

Although virtualization seems to be working smoothly, Parallels suggests that 8GB of RAM would provide a better experience. This is due to Windows requiring 4GB of RAM. The virtual machine will share 8GB of RAM between both Windows and Mac.

Still, Apple has been selling Macs with 8GB of RAM for years, and virtualization has worked with mid-level workloads. Apple’s M5 MacBook Air starts at $1099 with 16GB of RAM.

“For light, occasional Windows use, such as an old work tool or just a Windows-specific utility, the MacBook Neo can provide an acceptable experience,” says Parallels.

The MacBook Neo is currently available for $599. For more information, check out our review.

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