UTM 5.0.5 beta is now available with a major upgrade for Windows virtualization on Mac. The latest beta adds DirectX 12 support, allowing Windows 11 virtual machines to use DirectX 12 with Feature Level 12_1 graphics support.
The UTM team says this makes UTM the first virtualization software for macOS capable of running Windows 11 with DirectX 12 Feature Level 12_1 support. The new functionality is still in beta, but it could significantly improve the experience of running graphics-intensive Windows applications and games on Apple silicon Macs.
UTM uses Apple’s GPU through a translation layer rather than providing Windows with direct access to a physical graphics card. The new DirectX 12 implementation uses D3DMetal to translate Direct3D calls into graphics APIs that can run on macOS, allowing Windows applications to make better use of the GPU inside Apple silicon Macs.
This is particularly relevant for Macs with M-series chips. Apple silicon already provides considerably more GPU performance than many older Intel Macs, but running Windows applications inside a virtual machine has traditionally limited how much of that hardware could be used for 3D graphics.
DirectX 12 support changes that equation by giving compatible Windows software access to a more modern graphics API while running inside UTM.
UTM v5.0.5 beta is out with support for DirectX 12! UTM is the first virtualization software for macOS that can run Windows 11 with FL 12_1. Your move @parallels @VMware pic.twitter.com/pYbOP4qrGA
— UTM (@UTMapp) September 2, 2026
The UTM 5.0.5 beta also brings a separate graphics improvement to iPadOS. DirectX 11 support is now available through DXMT for compatible iPads, although the requirements are considerably more restrictive.
The feature is aimed at users running an M1 or M2 iPad on iPadOS 16.3.1 or earlier with TrollStore. Those requirements are important because the iPad version relies on Apple’s Hypervisor framework and the ability to run UTM outside the restrictions of the standard App Store environment.
This means an M1 or M2 iPad running an older compatible version of iPadOS can now run Windows software requiring DirectX 11 inside a virtual machine. Compatibility is expected to be more limited than on Mac, so this isn’t turning an iPad into a Windows gaming PC. It does, however, demonstrate what Apple’s M-series iPads can do when virtualization and graphics acceleration aren’t restricted by Apple’s normal software limitations.
On Mac, DirectX 12 is the bigger development as UTM has been steadily improving its graphics virtualization stack, and the move from DirectX 11 to DirectX 12 opens the door to a wider range of modern Windows software.
There are still limitation since the DirectX 12 implementation is experimental, and users should expect compatibility issues with some games and applications. Performance will also depend on the Mac’s Apple silicon chip, the Windows virtual machine configuration and the application being run.
UTM recommends testing the feature with a fresh Windows 11 installation and the latest UTM guest tools. Users who already have a Windows virtual machine configured with an older graphics driver may need to remove the existing driver before installing the new experimental driver.
The release also includes other graphics improvements, including Vulkan 1.3 support for Linux virtual machines and OpenGL 4.1 support through Apple’s Core OpenGL backend on macOS. However, DirectX 12 on Windows 11 remains the headline feature of this beta.
UTM 5.0.5 is currently a beta release, so it is primarily intended for users who want to test the new functionality rather than those looking for a completely stable Windows gaming environment.
For Apple silicon Mac users interested in running Windows 11 virtual machines, however, this is a significant step. DirectX 12 support brings UTM closer to providing a genuinely useful accelerated Windows graphics environment on macOS, while the addition of DirectX 11 support on compatible iPads shows that Apple’s tablet hardware is capable of much more under virtualization than Apple’s own software currently exposes.
The UTM 5.0.5 beta is available through the project’s GitHub releases page.
