Bootcamp Vs Parallels

Question

Are there any cons to setting up bootcamp on my mac then also using parallels to link to the same VM for fast access but then rebooting into windows to have the power and speed needed for gaming.
Also is it possible to have a VM on the windows side that links back to OS X
And which version of windows is best, I've heard not 8, so maybe 7 or 10

Answer 1

That's 3 questions really. SE works best when there's only one.

Anyway, to answer briefly…

1. You need to completely shut down the Parallels instance before attempting to boot it natively, or you can damage the Windows install.

2. Not worth doing; you'd be fighting a license limitation [although not actually, as you are already on Apple hardware… but you'd be in native windows] but there are no legitimate ready-made OS X VMs that run natively in Windows.

3. You don't really get the choice. Bootcamp will be optimised for one specific Windows version, depending on your Mac model & OS. For instance, Bootcamp & Windows 10