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Many IT teams deliver ArcGIS Pro the same way they deliver accounting or office software, as a published app on a shared Windows Server. Esri does not support that model for ArcGIS Pro, and GIS analysts notice it first as slow map navigation and then as GPU memory errors when more colleagues log in.
ArcGIS Pro 3.7 became available on May 14, 2026, and Esri’s guidance for virtual environments points to one setup. Each user gets a full Windows desktop with GPU resources assigned to that desktop, delivered over a display protocol built for 3D graphics.
How Esri Supports ArcGIS Pro in Virtual Environments
The ArcGIS Pro 3.7 system requirements state that ArcGIS Pro can run in many on-premises and cloud virtual desktop environments and requires GPU acceleration. The same page draws a clear line between full desktop delivery and publishing ArcGIS Pro as a single application.
| Delivery model | How it works | Esri position |
| Full virtual desktop with an assigned GPU | One user per virtual machine, with a shared vGPU or a dedicated GPU | Supported and recommended |
| Shared-session server (Remote Desktop Session Host) | Many users run sessions on one Windows Server | Not supported for multiple ArcGIS Pro users |
| Published app from a shared server | Only the ArcGIS Pro window streams to the user | Not supported |
| Application streaming service | App or desktop streamed from a cloud service | Possible, but full desktops respond better |
| Virtual machine without a GPU | The CPU draws everything in software | Runs, with major performance loss |
The difference comes down to session type. A single-session operating system lets one user connect to a machine at a time and is the model used for VDI, while a multi-session operating system lets several users connect to the same machine at once, usually on Windows Server.
Esri describes two GPU options for supported desktops. A shared vGPU splits one physical GPU between several virtual machines and suits mapping and analysis work, while GPU passthrough assigns a full physical GPU to one virtual machine and suits 3D visualization, animation, and very large datasets.
Why Shared Servers and Published Apps Slow ArcGIS Pro Down
Esri explains that shared-session servers deliver applications from one Windows Server operating system, where every user session competes for the same hardware. ArcGIS Pro leans on the GPU for map drawing, 3D scenes, and analysis, so that competition shows up in the graphics card first.
On a shared server, all sessions use one GPU and its video memory with no way to split them per user. Esri’s virtualization FAQ notes that one heavy 3D or deep learning job can take most of the video memory and cause lag or failures for everyone else, including the ArcGIS Pro message “Error allocating GPU memory.”
There is also no GPU scheduler at the hypervisor level to share GPU time fairly between sessions. When the GPU fills up, new sessions struggle to start, and some work moves to the CPU, which slows down every user on the server.
The habit of publishing GIS software comes from ArcMap. Esri notes that shared servers are optimized for 2D applications such as ArcMap, which ran in shared environments for years. Teams moving off ArcMap often carry that server design forward, and ArcGIS Pro does not behave like ArcMap. The broader difference between VDI and RDS session models explains why.
ArcGIS Pro 3.7 Requirements for a Virtual Desktop
A virtual desktop has to meet the same requirements as a physical workstation. These are the 3.7 figures that matter most when sizing one.
| Item | ArcGIS Pro 3.7 requirement |
| Operating system | Windows 11, or Windows Server 2019, 2022, or 2025 with Desktop Experience |
| Software | .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0.0 or a later 10.x patch, WebView2 Runtime 132 or later |
| CPU | 2 cores minimum, 4 recommended, 10 optimal, with AVX and AVX2 for some features |
| Memory | 8 GB minimum, 32 GB recommended, 64 GB or more optimal |
| Dedicated graphics memory | 8 GB or more recommended |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 recommended, with Vulkan, DirectX 11, or OpenGL as fallbacks |
| Deep learning (CUDA) | NVIDIA GPU, compute capability 7.5 or later recommended, 16 GB or more graphics memory recommended, driver 551.61 or later |
| Storage | 32 GB or more free space on an SSD, plus up to 32 GB for the visualization cache |
Source: ArcGIS Pro 3.7 system requirements.
Windows 10 is not on the 3.7 operating system list, which only names Windows 11 and Windows Server releases. GIS teams still running ArcGIS Pro on Windows 10 need to move to a supported operating system or another supported environment to use ArcGIS Pro 3.7.
If no supported GPU is present, ArcGIS Pro falls back to software emulation, which Esri says causes significant performance disadvantages. On a virtual machine, a missing or misconfigured GPU produces the same result.
CUDA is not required to run ArcGIS Pro, but it is required for most deep learning tools in ArcGIS Pro and speeds up some Spatial Analyst tools. An out-of-date driver makes deep learning tools fail with errors saying CUDA is not installed. Desktops built for GIS analysts who run feature extraction or imagery classification need a CUDA-capable GPU and a current NVIDIA driver.
Free Fixes for a Single Remote User
A GIS analyst who connects from home to one office workstation can often improve performance without new spending. The first check is whether the remote session uses the GPU at all.
Esri’s support article on Remote Desktop performance explains that ArcGIS Pro over RDP uses GPU software emulation unless the Group Policy setting “Use hardware graphics adapters for all Remote Desktop Services sessions” is enabled. Running dxdiag inside the session shows whether the display device is the Microsoft Remote Display Adapter or the real GPU, and the policy change plus a restart switches it to the GPU.
Esri also advises installing the GPU driver from the manufacturer’s website, because Windows Update usually offers a much older driver. Project data needs the same attention, since Esri does not support cloud storage services such as Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive unless specific tool documentation says otherwise.
These fixes help one person reach one office machine. They do not cover a team that shares hardware, analysts on Macs, or new hires who need a GPU desktop without a new workstation, and the office PC has to stay powered on for every remote session.
Other Ways GIS Teams Run ArcGIS Pro Remotely
Once a team grows past one remote user, the options widen. Each one meets some requirements and misses others.
| Approach | How it works | Where it falls short |
| Office workstation over VPN | ArcGIS Pro runs on the laptop, data stays at the office | Pro reads data across the VPN, and users report slow response |
| RDP into an office PC | User controls an office workstation remotely | Software emulation by default, one user per PC, PC must stay on |
| Shared server with published apps | Many users on one Windows Server | Not supported by Esri for multiple ArcGIS Pro users |
| Self-built GPU instances in a public cloud | IT builds GPU virtual machines on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud | IT owns sizing, images, GPU drivers, patching, and scaling |
| RDP-based cloud desktop services | Desktops streamed over Microsoft’s RDP protocol | RDP is not a graphics-optimized protocol for 3D work |
| Application streaming services | Single apps or desktops streamed from the cloud | Esri finds full desktop delivery more responsive |
| General “ArcGIS Pro hosting” offers | Varies by provider | Session type, GPU allocation, and protocol are often unstated |
On Esri Community, users who found ArcGIS Pro unworkably slow over VPN fixed it by connecting through Remote Desktop to a machine on the office network. That moves the problem to the RDP fixes above, with the same one-user-per-PC limit.
For self-built cloud environments, Esri states that the customer is responsible for selecting appropriately sized and configured instances. Esri’s FAQ walks through installing the NVIDIA driver through an Azure extension or a PowerShell download on AWS before ArcGIS Pro can use the GPU. Those GPU instances work, but someone on staff has to build and maintain them.
An Esri solutions architect notes that Azure Virtual Desktop connects through the Remote Desktop client and the RDP protocol. On its VMware deployment page, Esri states that RDP works for connections, while graphics-optimized protocols are recommended for ArcGIS Pro and 3D rendering.
For application streaming, Esri’s 3.7 requirements state that streaming works for many workflows, while full desktop delivery typically gives better responsiveness.
For any provider offering ArcGIS Pro in the cloud, four answers decide the fit. Ask whether each desktop is single session, whether a GPU is assigned to each user, which display protocol is used, and whether the image meets the 3.7 requirements for .NET 10 and the NVIDIA driver.
A managed desktop as a service gives each analyst a full Windows desktop with an allocated NVIDIA vGPU profile, delivered over Citrix HDX 3D Pro.
Why Citrix Full Desktops With GPU Suit ArcGIS Pro
Esri publishes dedicated Citrix guidance for ArcGIS Pro, and on that page it states that Citrix HDX 3D Pro gives the best performance for ArcGIS Pro 3D rendering and GPU-intensive tasks. The same guidance requires each user to run ArcGIS Pro in a dedicated virtual desktop with GPU resources assigned, which is the setup Citrix full desktops provide.
HDX 3D Pro on single-session desktops supports both GPU passthrough and GPU virtualization, and NVIDIA vGPU lets several virtual machines use one physical GPU with the same NVIDIA drivers used on physical workstations. GIS teams can give viewers and editors a shared vGPU and give 3D specialists a full GPU on the same platform.
HDX 3D Pro supports up to eight 4K monitors on single-session desktops. Cartographers and analysts who keep a map, attribute tables, and layouts open across several screens keep that setup on a virtual desktop.
Citrix DaaS connects to Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, plus on-premises hypervisors such as XenServer, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and VMware vSphere. GIS desktops can run close to where spatial data lives, with one management console across locations.
The Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2511 release introduced HDX Graphics improvements that can notably lower CPU, memory, and bandwidth use on the virtual desktop. Lower bandwidth use helps analysts who work from home internet connections.
Users connect through the Citrix Workspace app, which runs on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, and devices that cannot install it can connect through an HTML5 browser. Citrix Machine Creation Services builds every desktop in a catalog from one image, so an ArcGIS Pro version or driver update made on the image reaches each desktop built from it.
Sizing GPU Desktops by GIS Role
Esri’s 2026 hardware and VM profile guidance groups ArcGIS Pro users into light, medium, and heavy profiles and gives a starting size for each.
| GIS role | Typical work | Esri starting point |
| Light | Viewing data, simple queries, presenting maps | 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 2Q vGPU profile (2 GB) |
| Medium | Editing in 2D and 3D, daily GIS workflows | 8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 2Q to 4Q vGPU profile (2 to 4 GB) |
| Heavy | Advanced visualization, complex symbology, GPU geoprocessing | 12 to 16 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 4Q vGPU profile or larger |
Esri stresses that CPU and GPU have to be sized together, because a large GPU profile with too little CPU just creates a different bottleneck. It also notes that oversized GPU allocations reduce how many users fit on a host without improving performance for most workflows.
Analysts who train deep learning models or work with large city models need more graphics memory than Esri’s general starting points, and full GPU passthrough fits that work. Desktops for ArcGIS Pro on GPU-powered Cloud VDI follow these Esri profiles as a starting point and are validated against real project files during onboarding.
Staff who only view web maps in ArcGIS Online through a browser do not need ArcGIS Pro on their desktop. A standard hosted virtual desktop without a GPU covers that work at a lower cost.
Check List
Cloud VDI Readiness Checklist for AEC Firms
Licensing, Data Location, and Mac Users
ArcGIS Pro 3.7 licensing comes in two types: Named User, licensed through an ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization account, and Single Use, which needs no extra software. Esri deprecated the Concurrent Use license type on July 1, 2025. Teams that ran a license manager on a shared server should confirm their current license type with Esri before planning virtual desktops.
Data location affects performance as much as the GPU does. Keeping project files and geodatabases on storage in the same data center as the virtual desktops avoids pulling large datasets across the internet, and it keeps ArcGIS Pro away from the unsupported OneDrive setups described earlier.
Esri’s guidance for running ArcGIS Pro on a Mac lists limits on Apple silicon: tools that need AVX do not work, DirectX 12 and Vulkan are unavailable, and deep learning tools are not tested or certified. Esri also notes that macOS Tahoe is the last version to support Intel processors.
A cloud-hosted desktop removes those limits, since ArcGIS Pro runs on a Windows machine with an NVIDIA GPU and the Mac only displays the session. More detail on cloud desktop access from a Mac covers the client side.
How Managed Citrix DaaS Delivers ArcGIS Pro on GPU-Powered Cloud VDI
Ace Cloud Hosting is a desktop-as-a-service provider that delivers ArcGIS Pro hosted virtual desktops through Citrix. Each GIS user gets a single-session Windows 11 or Windows Server desktop with an allocated NVIDIA vGPU profile or full GPU passthrough, delivered over Citrix HDX 3D Pro.
The GPU-accelerated desktops include CUDA with NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation licensing and an NVIDIA driver that meets the ArcGIS Pro 3.7 requirement for deep learning tools. Host CPUs support AVX2, so features that depend on it, such as geoprocessing tool suggestions, work on the desktop.
The same GPU-powered virtual desktops run ArcGIS Pro next to AutoCAD, Revit, or Adobe Illustrator on one Windows desktop. GPU desktop plans include Citrix and Windows licensing; customers bring their own ArcGIS Pro license, and migration is handled with expert guidance at no additional cost.
On the same GPU-powered Cloud VDI, a US industrial machinery manufacturer scaled SOLIDWORKS from 9 to 37 engineers in 43 days without buying new workstations. GIS teams follow the same model, adding analysts by adding desktops sized to each role.
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Open the calculator →Testing ArcGIS Pro on a Trial Virtual Desktop
Esri’s free ArcGIS Pro Performance Assessment Tool measures startup time, map and bookmark loading, and layer rendering for GPU performance, and it can run custom scripts against your own maps and data. Running it on a current workstation gives a baseline, and running it again on the trial desktop shows the difference in numbers.
A practical test involves real project work. Open the largest 3D scene the team has, run a deep learning or GPU-accelerated Spatial Analyst tool, and export a sizable layout to PDF.
Connection quality decides the daily experience, so the last test runs from where people actually work. Connect from a home network, from a Mac if anyone on the team uses one, and from a multi-monitor setup.
Esri began beta testing for ArcGIS Pro 3.8 in September 2026, so the next release is close. A trial desktop built on a single image also shows how a version update reaches every analyst at once.
Run ArcGIS Pro and the Performance Assessment Tool on a trial desktop, and our team will size it for each GIS role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ArcGIS Pro be published as a single app on a virtual desktop platform?
No. Esri’s 3.7 requirements state that publishing ArcGIS Pro as an app is not supported, and that full desktop delivery is the suitable method.
Can ArcGIS Pro run on Azure Virtual Desktop with Windows multi-session?
Esri’s earlier Azure guidance said multi-session Windows could support ArcGIS Pro if administrators limit simultaneous users on each VM. The current 3.7 requirements recommend GPU-enabled full virtual desktops on Azure Virtual Desktop, which avoids sharing a GPU between sessions.
Does ArcGIS Pro 3.7 run on Windows Server?
Yes. Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025 are supported with the Desktop Experience option. Multiple users running ArcGIS Pro sessions on the same server is still not supported, so a Windows Server desktop should serve one user.
Does ArcGIS Pro run on Linux?
No. The ArcGIS Pro 3.7 system requirements list only Windows 11 and Windows Server. GIS teams on Linux workstations can run ArcGIS Pro on a Windows cloud desktop and connect from their Linux machine through Citrix Workspace app.
Can ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro run on the same cloud desktop during migration?
Yes. Esri ended ArcMap support on March 1, 2026, but its ArcMap FAQ confirms both applications can be installed on the same computer. Teams can keep ArcMap on the desktop while they move projects to ArcGIS Pro.
Is ArcGIS AllSource supported on cloud desktops?
Yes. Esri’s AllSource cloud virtualization guidance describes the same model as ArcGIS Pro: full Windows desktops with shared or pass-through GPU resources.
