Announced on August 18, Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac brings a host of new features to the popular virtualization software, including expanded support for PC games and a host of new features designed to make life easier for virtual machine users, according to MacWorld.
Available today for current subscribers and August 23 for new customers, Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac boasts expanded support for PC gaming, including games available via Microsoft’s Windows 10 Xbox app, and Blizzard’s blockbuster team-shooter Overwatch.
Additionally, Parallels Desktop 12 is bundled with a brand new set of tools called Parallels Toolbox.
Parallels Toolbox is an app which contains over 20 new utilities designed to make virtualization a little easier, and a little more user-friendly. The utilities themselves offer some added functionality independent of the Parallels Desktop virtual machine. The Toolbox includes utilities which streamline some everyday tasks, like password-protecting individual files, downloading videos from sites like Facebook and Vimeo, and recording desktop screencasts.
The Parallels Toolbox is available bundled with Parallels Desktop 12, or on its own for $10 a year.
The latest Parallels also boasts a revamped pricing model, which includes some deep discounts for current subscribers. Parallels Desktop 12 retails for $80, while existing Parallels customers, who purchased Parallels 10 or 11, will be able to upgrade for $50. Parallels also offers subscription models for the two premium flavors of Parallels, Pro and Business, for $100 per year.
Parallels Desktop 12 is available in three different versions, Desktop, Pro and Business. Pro and Business customers enjoy expanded technical support as well as a complimentary copy of Parallels Access, to remotely access up to five Macs or PCs from anywhere.
Parallels Desktop 12 also includes a full year of Acronis True Image cloud backup, with 500GB of storage to backup your virtual machine, whether incrementally or all at once.
