VMware Fusion is now available for private preview on M1 Macs. Users can request access via an online form. According to Michael Roy, VMware Fusion manager, a public preview will be available in approximately two weeks.
VMware Fusion for M1 Macs is very limited in scope and will focus on virtualizing Arm based Linux distributions. VMware Fusion will not support Windows 10 on M1 Macs, because Microsoft has yet offer licensing for the Arm edition of Windows 10. Roy stated in a tweet that Windows 10 on M1 Macs should still be supported when choosing the "other" OS type. However, VMware will not ship drivers or VMware tools.
VMware Fusion won't be able virtualize Intel-based Windows and Linux distributions. However, support for virtualizing macOS has not been released yet. Roy stated in a blog post that there is not much business value relative the engineering effort required to support Intel-based operating system on M1 Macs. He also said that VMware is more focused on making Arm Linux virtual machines on Apple silicon enjoyable to use.
Microsoft doesn't yet offer Arm-based Windows retail, but Windows Insiders have access to a preview version. Parallels, a VMware competitor, boasted earlier this year about being able to run Arm-based Windows previews on M1 Macs with Parallels Desktop 16.5. However, the fine print states that customers must ensure they comply with the licensing agreement for their operating system.
VMware Fusion for Macs is not expected to be released in the foreseeable future. Pricing and upgrade options are still unknown.
