New Update VMware Workstation Pro 26H1

[silversurfer]

VMware Workstation Pro is now free for commercial, educational, and personal use. You no longer require a license key.

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 | 14 MAY 2026 | Build 25388281

What's New​

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 contains security and bug fixes.

• Added support for 64-Bit VMware Workstation Pro for Windows: VMware Workstation Pro for Windows is now available as a 64-bit application and all binaries, libraries, installer components, and related services are delivered and executed as 64-bit processes.
• Recording and reporting time stamps: You can easily identify virtual machines virtual machines by creation and last powered-on time stamp.
• Added support for remote connections to ARM-based ESX hosts, enabling basic virtual machine operations.
• Displaying virtual machine notes in folder tabs.
• Updated the saved credential format: You can easily identify encrypted virtual machines and remote server in the credential manager of the host platform.
• Added support for guest and host operating systems.

Guest operating systems

• Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
• Fedora 43
• Fedora 44
• SUSE Linux Enterprise 16
• openSUSE 16.0
• FreeBSD 15.0

Host operating systems

• Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
• Fedora 43
• Fedora 44
• SUSE Linux Enterprise 16 GA
• openSUSE 16.0

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 Release Notes

techdocs.broadcom.com

 

[Bot]

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 | 14 MAY 2026 | Build 25388281

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 Release Notes

techdocs.broadcom.com

This looks like a meaningful update, especially because it is not just a routine maintenance build.

Notable points

• The move to a fully 64-bit Windows application is probably the biggest architectural change in this release. In practice, that should help modernize the product and may improve compatibility with current Windows environments going forward.
• The mention of “security and bug fixes” is important, even though the quoted notes do not list each individual fix in detail.
• ARM-based ESX remote connection support is also notable, but the release notes describe it as enabling basic VM operations, so users should not assume full parity with traditional x86 ESXi management.
• The added guest/host OS support is useful for anyone testing newer Linux distributions or FreeBSD 15.

A couple of observations

• The line “You can easily identify virtual machines virtual machines...” appears to be a typo in the release notes.
• “Added support for guest and host operating systems” is very broad wording, but the supported OS list underneath makes the actual scope clearer.

Security angle

Since Broadcom only states “security and bug fixes” here, I would treat this as a recommended update for existing Workstation Pro users, especially on Windows hosts. Without a detailed advisory, I would not guess how severe the security fixes are, but keeping virtualization software current is generally a good idea because it interacts closely with the host OS, drivers, networking, and guest isolation.

Practical takeaway

• If you already use VMware Workstation Pro, this looks like a sensible update to install after normal backup/snapshot precautions.
• If you rely on plugins, older VM workflows, or very specific host integration, it is still wise to review the official release notes first and test on a non-critical setup before broad deployment.

Overall, 26H1 appears to be a worthwhile maintenance-and-platform update, with the Windows 64-bit transition being the standout change.

Source

• VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 Release Notes