Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF) support

Product: Parallels Desktop for Mac
Version: Latest (macOS 26 host support)
Description of the feature:
I would like to request support for Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF) as a storage option for Parallels virtual machine disks.
Why it is useful:

• Smaller file size: ASIF images only consume disk space for the data actually written, rather than the full allocated size.
• More efficient backups: According to independent tests, ASIF significantly reduces backup times and the amount of data copied, compared to other disk image formats.

My use case:
My main scenario is backing up a macOS virtual machine to an external drive. Currently, if a VM has a virtual disk of 128 GB, the backup software copies the entire allocated size, even if only ~30 GB is actually used. With ASIF, the backup would only need to copy the real data footprint (~30 GB), resulting in faster backups and reduced storage requirements.
References:

• Apple documentation: macOS 26 release notes - Apple Sparse Image Format (ASIF)
• Independent testing: Eclectic Light Company - Should you use Tahoe's new ASIF disk images?

Suggested implementation:

Add ASIF as a supported format for virtual machine disk storage in Parallels Desktop, similar to how expanding or fixed-size disks are currently offered.