VMware Player vs VirtualBox: Can They Run with Hyper-V Enabled on Windows 10?

When it comes to virtualization, two popular options are VMware Player and VirtualBox. Both of these solutions allow users to run multiple operating systems on a single machine, but they have some limitations when used in conjunction with other virtualization technologies like Hyper-V.

Hyper-V is a built-in virtualization technology available on 64-bit versions of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. It allows users to create and run software versions of computers, known as virtual machines (VMs). While similar to VirtualBox and VMware virtualization technology, Hyper-V is Microsoft's hardware virtualization product.

So, can VirtualBox or VMware Player run with Hyper-V enabled on Windows 10? Unfortunately, the answer is no. The reason for this is that both VirtualBox and VMware Workstation are 'level 2 hypervisors,' which means they are applications running inside an existing operating system (in this case, Windows). On the other hand, Hyper-V is a 'level 1 hypervisor,' which is the operating system itself.

When you enable Hyper-V on Windows 10, your host machine becomes a virtual machine. As a result, VirtualBox and VMware Player cannot access the Intel VT-X instruction, which is only accessible by the host. This means that these two solutions cannot run inside a Hyper-V VM.

In contrast, NoxPlayer is a popular emulator that has recently released a version compatible with both VirtualBox technology and Hyper-V-enabled environments. This new update allows users to run NoxPlayer alongside Google Play Games and Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) without any issues.

While this may not be the case for VirtualBox or VMware Player, it's essential for emulators to be compatible with Hyper-V as it provides a more seamless experience for users. With the rise of cloud computing and virtualization, it's crucial for software vendors to ensure their products are compatible with various technologies.

In conclusion, while VirtualBox and VMware Player cannot run with Hyper-V enabled on Windows 10 due to differences in hypervisor levels, NoxPlayer has made strides in achieving compatibility with both VirtualBox technology and Hyper-V. As the virtualization landscape continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see how these solutions adapt and improve their functionality.

Vmware player versus virtualbox