This article lists the requirements for using the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) version of the Zoom desktop client on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
This article covers:
Software requirements
Additional applications and versions known to be compatible with Zoom’s VDI offering are listed in the tables below.
VDI Server
| VDI server | Minimum version |
| Citrix Server (DDC) | XenDesktop 7.6 or higher |
| VMware Horizon Server | Horizon 7 or higher |
| Windows | Windows Server 2012 or higher |
VDI Client
| VDI client | Minimum version |
| Citrix Desktop Agent | VDA 7.13 - 2003 or 2009 |
| Citrix Workspace | 4.9 or higher (A) |
| VMWare Horizon Client | 5.2 or higher |
| Windows | Windows 7 or higher (B)(C) |
| macOS | 10.15 or higher |
| IGEL | 10.0 or higher |
| Ubuntu | 16.04 or higher |
| CentOS | 8 or higher |
| HP ThinPro | 7.2 or higher |
| eLux | 6.4 or higher |
Notes:
- A: Citrix Workspace Receiver must be an official Citrix version provided directly from their website and cannot be from the Microsoft Store.
- B: Windows 7 and higher are supported for VDI media offloading with the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) plugin if connected through Windows RDP. For example, a user can connect to their remote, non-VDI Windows 7 machine through RDP and offload Zoom media if the client and AVD plug-in are installed in their respective locations.
- C: Windows 7 and Windows 8 will likely no longer be supported as of Q2 2024 due to end of support for 32-bit devices. More information on this will be available soon.
Hardware requirements
VDI plugin for macOS
These Mac devices are supported for use with the VDI plugin:
- MacBook, 2015 or later
- MacBook Air, 2012 or later
- MacBook Pro, 2012 or later
- Mac mini, 2012 or later
- iMac, 2012 or later
- iMac Pro
- Mac Pro, 2013 or later
Note: Some Mac Pro mid-2010 or mid-2012 models are supported with a recommended graphics card that supports Metal.
VDI plugin for Windows
A Windows device must have the following hardware requirements to support the VDI plugin:
- 32-bit or 64-bit processor
- Dual-core 1.5Ghz or above
VDI plugin for Linux
A Linux device must have the following hardware requirements to support the VDI plugin:
- 64-bit processor
- Dual-core 1.5Ghz or above
Limitations for VDI features
Some Zoom features are not available with the VDI Client because of technical limitations related to the infrastructure and media offloading requirements.
The VDI Client has the following limitations:
- Local recording: Due to the lack of writing space on most thin clients and Zoom’s continuous writing process for local recordings, shared or synchronizing resources (such as a VDI server), the VDI client only supports cloud recording.
- Virtual background: Standard thin clients may not meet system requirements to use virtual backgrounds in meetings. Optimized thin clients with sufficient processing power are supported.
- Dual monitor mode: Given the limited processing capabilities of VDI hardware and the demands that dual monitor mode requires, this feature is not currently supported for VDI.
- Gallery view with 49 participants: The Zoom VDI Client supports 6 to 49 video streams, depending on the hardware. Support for up to 49 video streams was added in version 5.9.6. For more information, please visit the Support article on how to calculate the number of video streams for VDI Clients.
- Group HD: Most VDI Clients cannot use Group HD video at 720p or 1080p resolution because of hardware processing limitations; however, Group HD video is available if users are optimized and their local machine meets minimum requirements.
- Screen capturing: Third-party tools designed to save screen content may not be capable of capturing content from a Zoom meeting depending on where the tool is running. Video, including the screen share content, is displayed on the thin client and capture tools located in the virtual desktop are unable to access the video overlay.
- Support for local screen captures is supported as of VDI plugin version 5.15.2 for Zoom Meetings and version 5.15.10 for Zoom Webinars.
- To save screen share session information during a meeting, check your session to determine if the annotation feature has been enabled. Select Annotations to open the control strip and click the Save button to save the screen share displayed.
- Local sound sharing: By default, sharing device audio is not enabled on VDI devices in releases prior to 5.9.0. The feature can be enabled in older releases by using the EnableShareAudioSound registry key. This feature was enabled by default beginning with release 5.9.0.
- Optimize video for screen sharing: The VDI Client is optimized for screen sharing at a low frame rate to maintain server performance, which can produce choppy animated content when sharing from a virtual desktop.
Users can share at higher frame rates if the Optimize Video option has been created using the EnableOptimizeForVideo registry key. The frame rate that is typically possible is up to 15 frames per second. - Peer-to-peer connections: Because of the intended optimized connection for the VDI Client with the plug-in, the VDI Client will never establish a P2P connection and will always connect to the cloud.