QEMU 11.0 closes a long-standing chapter by completely removing support for 32-bit host systems. The move frees the project from a maintenance burden that developers had described as unsustainable.

One clarification: the removal affects hosts (the systems running QEMU itself). Emulating 32-bit guest systems on a 64-bit host remains fully supported.

What’s New

Among the notable additions is a new accelerator called “nitro”, designed to run AWS Nitro Enclaves natively under QEMU. It’s useful for those who want to replicate AWS-compatible environments locally or manage isolated workloads without relying on the cloud. The MSHV and WHPX accelerators also see improvements, relevant for QEMU users on Windows or with Hyper-V.

On the KVM front, this release introduces virtualization of CET (Control-flow Enforcement Technology) and adds reset support for dedicated virtual machines based on SEV-SNP and TDX, technologies used to isolate workloads in confidential computing environments.

virtio-gpu gains support for native context drivers and the ability to assign a distinct resolution to each video output. TCG, QEMU’s internal code translator, now includes in-tree support for C++ plugins, useful for developers building analysis and debug tools. The NFS driver adds compatibility with libnfs v6, while curl and FUSE drivers receive various improvements, including asynchronous request handling for FUSE.

ARM also sees notable updates: emulation of FEAT_ASID2 and FEAT_E2H0 extensions, TCG emulation of SME (Scalable Matrix Extension), and HVF acceleration of SME2 on macOS. x86 gains the Diamond Rapids CPU model.