diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/virtualmachine_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/virtualmachine_types.go
index 8715bf2..40298c8 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/virtualmachine_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/virtualmachine_types.go
@@ -354,6 +354,39 @@ type VirtualMachineSpec struct {
 
 	// AdvancedOptions describes a set of optional, advanced options for configuring a VirtualMachine
 	AdvancedOptions *VirtualMachineAdvancedOptions `json:"advancedOptions,omitempty"`
+
+	// MinHardwareVersion specifies the desired, minimum hardware version
+	// for this VM.
+	//
+	// If omitted, the VM's hardware version is derived from the image used to
+	// deploy the VM. This field is never updated to reflect the derived
+	// hardware version. Instead, VirtualMachineStatus.HardwareVersion surfaces
+	// the observed hardware version.
+	//
+	// Please note, setting this field's value to N ensures a VM's hardware
+	// version is equal to or greater than N. For example, if a VM's observed
+	// hardware version is 10 and this field's value is 13, then the VM will be
+	// upgraded to hardware version 13. However, if the observed hardware
+	// version is 17 and this field's value is 13, no change will occur.
+	//
+	// Several features are hardware version dependent, for example:
+	//
+	// * Persistent Volume Claims        >= 13
+	// * Dynamic Direct Path I/O devices >= 17
+	//
+	// Please refer to https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1003746 for a list of VM
+	// hardware versions.
+	//
+	// It is important to remember that a VM's hardware version may not be
+	// downgraded and upgrading a VM deployed from an image based on an older
+	// hardware version to a more recent one may result in unpredictable
+	// behavior. In other words, please be careful when choosing to upgrade a
+	// VM to a newer hardware version.
+	//
+	// +optional
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:Minimum=13
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:Maximum=20
+	MinHardwareVersion int32 `json:"minHardwareVersion,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // VirtualMachineAdvancedOptions describes a set of optional, advanced options for configuring a VirtualMachine.
@@ -466,6 +499,15 @@ type VirtualMachineStatus struct {
 	// Please note this field may be empty when the cluster is not zone-aware.
 	// +optional
 	Zone string `json:"zone,omitempty"`
+
+	// HardwareVersion describes the VirtualMachine resource's observed
+	// hardware version.
+	//
+	// Please refer to VirtualMachineSpec.MinHardwareVersion for more
+	// information on the topic of a VM's hardware version.
+	//
+	// +optional
+	HardwareVersion int32 `json:"hardwareVersion,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (vm *VirtualMachine) GetConditions() Conditions {