UTM (software)
 | |
| Developer(s) | Turing Software, LLC[1] |
|---|---|
| Stable release | v4.6.5[2]
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| Operating system | macOS, iOS, visionOS |
| Platform | Apple–Intel architecture, Apple silicon |
| License | Apache License[3] |
| Website | mac |
UTM is an open-source virtual machine application for macOS and iOS. A version called UTM SE was released on the iOS App Store, which is noted for its slow performance compared to the regular version. UTM has been praised for its ability to run a large number of operating systems for free.
Features
[edit]UTM functions as either a virtualizer or an emulator. As a virtualizer, UTM runs operating systems that have an underlying architecture compatible with the physical device by directly running the virtual machine code on the host CPU. As an emulator, UTM can run operating systems with a different underlying architecture by running just-in-time compilation on the guest code. UTM can integrate with the built-in hypervisor on macOS for virtualization, and it also supports QEMU as a back-end for both virtualization and emulation. QEMU allows UTM to emulate a wide variety of operating systems. When connected to Apple's built-in hypervisor, UTM can use macOS's Rosetta software to efficiently run x86-64 code on ARM processors.[4][5]
Since Apple's mobile chips lack support for hardware virtualization, the UTM mobile app only supports emulation.[6]
UTM runs on both Intel and Apple silicon processors.[7] It uses SPICE to display graphics at high performance.[8] UTM does not support GPU virtualization, so it cannot use hardware acceleration to display modern games.[6]
UTM can be freely downloaded from GitHub, although there is a paid version on the Mac App Store that receives automatic updates.[9]
UTM SE
[edit]UTM SE is a version of UTM that is modified for the iOS App Store. The original version of UTM can still be installed on iOS through sideloading or an unofficial app store, but it is not on the App Store due to Apple's restrictions on launching executable code.[4] Released in 2024, UTM SE was the first PC emulator on the iOS App Store.[10] Prior to its release, the App Store had already allowed console emulators such as Delta.[4]
UTM SE uses an interpreter instead of just-in-time compilation, bypassing the App Store's restrictions. SE stands for "slow edition", since the lack of compilation drastically slows down performance.[10]
UTM SE can run on iOS and visionOS. It supports the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple Vision.[11]
Reception
[edit]Macworld described UTM as "a good, low-cost option that will particularly appeal to developers and users who have a little more technical knowledge", praising its versatility in supporting both virtualization and emulation while criticizing its complex interface.[7] PCMag described UTM as sluggish when emulating Intel-based systems, and stated that its lack of support for DirectX graphics acceleration makes it a poor choice for gaming.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "UTM Virtual Machines". Mac App Store. 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
- ^ "Releases". Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ "LICENSE". 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
- ^ a b c Orland, Kyle (2024-07-15). "PC emulator comes to iOS, but Apple's restrictions hamper performance". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
- ^ Proven, Liam (2023-09-29). "UTM: An Apple hypervisor with some unique extra abilities". The Register. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ a b "FAQ". getutm.app. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ a b Joseph, Cliff (2024-06-26). "UTM Virtual Machines review". Macworld. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ Loder, Chip (2024-09-18). "How to use UTM to run almost any version of macOS — even very old ones". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ "Installation". UTM Documentation. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ a b Butts, Jeff (2024-07-15). "First PC emulator arrives on iOS App Store, delivers i486 or PowerPC fun on your iPhone, iPad or Vision Pro". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
- ^ Software, Turing (2024-04-30). "UTM SE: Retro PC emulator". App Store. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ Mendelson, Edward (2025-02-28). "UTM Virtual Machine Review". PCMag. Retrieved 2025-03-28.