Parallels Desktop: Running Visual Studio on Mac After Retirement

The retirement of Visual Studio for Mac has left many .NET developers searching for a reliable way to continue their workflows on macOS. Parallels Desktop for Mac addresses this challenge by enabling developers to run the full Windows version of Visual Studio directly on their Mac, on both Intel and Apple silicon hardware, without switching devices or moving to a cloud workstation.

What was announced

Microsoft has retired Visual Studio for Mac, leaving .NET developers to choose between Visual Studio Code with the C# DevKit extension or running the full Visual Studio for Windows on their Mac. While Visual Studio Code is a capable editor, it still lacks several features required by professional developers, including a memory profiler, support for opening and editing Visual Studio projects, and strong performance on large solutions.

Parallels Desktop for Mac offers a direct path forward. It integrates the full Windows environment into macOS and is authorized by Microsoft as a supported solution for running Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on Apple silicon Macs. A valid Windows license is still required.

Why this matters

For CIOs, IT directors and engineering leaders managing mixed Mac and Windows development teams, the retirement of Visual Studio for Mac creates a practical question: how to preserve productivity for .NET developers on macOS without forcing hardware replacements or full migrations to cloud workstations such as Microsoft Dev Box.

Parallels Desktop for Mac provides an on-device solution that eliminates cloud dependencies, delivers rapid access to Visual Studio via Coherence mode, and preserves the familiar .NET toolchain. It sits alongside macOS applications such as Finder, Terminal, Xcode and native browsers, allowing developers to keep a single unified workflow.

Technical details

• Windows 11 support: runs the Arm version of Windows 11 on Apple silicon using hardware-assisted virtualization, and standard Windows 11 on Intel Macs.
• Microsoft authorization: supported versions authorized by Microsoft to run Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on Apple silicon Macs.
• Coherence mode: hides the Windows desktop and displays individual Windows application windows directly on the Mac desktop.
• File and clipboard sharing: source code, documentation, test assets and build output move seamlessly between macOS and Windows.
• Alternatives compared: UTM, VirtualBox and VMware Fusion Pro are available as free options but lack a Coherence-equivalent Windows app mode and vary in Apple silicon integration.
• Compatibility note: developers should verify Windows 11 on Arm support for any specialist application, driver or dependency their project requires.

Softprom and Parallels

Softprom is the official distributor of Parallels. Development teams migrating from Visual Studio for Mac can obtain Parallels Desktop licenses, deployment guidance and technical support through Softprom.

This content was prepared as part of the Softprom DistriFlow project — an automated system for monitoring and adapting vendor news. Original source: original article.