Since the early days of Apple, Macs have not been known for their video game support. While Apple was focusing on their beautiful operating system and tightly controlled experience, Windows was branching out into an open platform that gave rise to highly innovative video games.
Discover the best Mac-compatible Games in Best Sellers. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Video Games Best Sellers. Surround Stereo Gaming Headset Over Ear Headphones with Mic Revolution Volume Control & Noise Canceling & LED Light for PC Mac Computer Games Laptop-White 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,648. The Sims 3 University. Unlike many of the best Mac games today, Stardew Valley was not made by a large studio. Instead, it was a labor of love for one man, which makes it even more extraordinary. Among the 20 best graphics PC games today, For Honor easily impresses the players with its real-looking war, smoke, broken buildings and other cool visual effects. Truthfully, the game makes us feel like getting lost in a true rebel or real war.
However, over the past few decades, the gap between platforms has been reduced significantly. Apple today has an impressive library of good games for Mac, thanks to a more popular hardware platform, and even released its own subscription model for gaming — Apple Arcade.
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So now that gaming on Macs is both viable and compelling, what are some of the best Mac games in 2020?
The Story Of Gaming On Macs
The main reason that Windows PCs enjoyed a greater selection of games than Apple is simply due to hardware. Apple has always produced their own proprietary hardware and software, which has allowed it to maintain a higher degree of control over how its systems physically look while ensuring its design standards are upheld for a consistent experience.
Contrarily, Microsoft made its Windows operating system open to run on a wider selection of hardware. For example, Dell could assemble its own hardware and then licence the Microsoft operating system accordingly. By opening up to more flexible hardware, Windows PCs were able to take advantage of the latest graphics and CPU innovations upon release — something critical in the early days of video game development. More importantly, Windows had a greater user base, which simply meant it was a more attractive business opportunity to develop games for the PC over Mac.
That was until Apple Macs started to borrow from some of the same open hardware architecture as PCs. Suddenly, video games made for PC could be easily ported to the Mac platform, which was becoming capable of running games smoothly due to newer, more powerful hardware.
That said, your hardware specifications are still an important consideration when looking for the best games on Mac.
The best hardware for Mac games
Generally speaking, video games fall into three broad categories — indie games (casual, made by one or a few people), e-sport games (competitive games which are usually fairly accessible to run), and blockbuster games (often requiring powerful hardware to run smoothly).
Almost any modern Apple Mac, including MacBooks, made in the past 5–10 years can run indie games without hassle. However, e-sport and blockbuster games may require you to pay more attention to the Mac’s specifications before attempting to run them.
Mail pilot 3 39 0 – task oriented email client. When deciding if your Mac is going to perform well for gaming, consider some of the following:
- Ensure your Mac has a dedicated graphics card (GPU). Many Macs, and especially MacBooks, use onboard graphics chips, which are built into the CPU unit. While efficient, these are usually not powerful enough to run really taxing games.
- Aim for at a quad-core CPU, as many modern games take advantage of the extra cores over older units
- Demanding games will usually call for a minimum of 8 GB of system RAM, but if you’re a multi-tasker or creator you might want 16 GB instead
- Ensure you have enough hard disk space, as newer titles can take up a lot of storage. If you plan to have multiple games installed at once, you’ll want at least 256 GB of fast storage, preferably SSD over HDD.
Now that you know what kind of hardware is best for gaming, it’s time to look at some good games for Mac that will run well on your machine.
The best Mac games in 2019
The library of available games for Mac is constantly being updated with new and exciting titles — especially on the popular digital store called Steam and the App Store game collection.
However there are a few Steam games for Mac that really stand out — many of which were critically acclaimed titles on Windows PC before being ported across.
Here are some of the best Mac games in 2020 to get you started:
Diablo 3 is an action role playing game (ARPG) that’s all about loot. Level up your magic-wielding hero and slay thousands of demon-spawn in the search for more powerful gear and items. You can even play online or cooperatively with friends. Best for intermediate to powerful machines.
Cuphead is a retro-styled run-and-gun for up to two players which lets you tackle an increasingly challenging roster of bosses. Known for its beautiful cartoon-style graphics, Cuphead is a pleasure to look at while being fairly simple to run, and is one of the best Steam games for Mac. Ideal for basic machines, including MacBooks.
Fortnite is one of the world’s most popular online games for Mac, which finds you landing on an island and fighting other players to be the last standing. The addictive recipe of land, loot, shoot, and survive has become a world-wide phenomenon — especially as one of the top free games for Mac.
Civilization VI is one of the best games on Steam, period. It’s the latest instalment of a long-running series that lets you build entire civilizations from scratch. Advance through the ages, expand your empire, and use resources wisely to defeat your opponents through a variety of means. Reviews have shown Civilization V to be one of the best Steam games for Mac for years, and Civilization VI should become available soon. Better enjoyed on intermediate to powerful machines.
Starcraft II is one of the best free games for Mac, which lets you command one of three space-faring armies and battle them against each other for victory. It’s also one of the most popular online games for Mac ever.
Those are just a handful of the many exciting titles to land on Mac in recent years, with more being added every day. Even if you have an older Mac, you might be able to game comfortably without paying for costly hardware upgrades.
However, given that Macs don’t always have the same hardware options as their more powerful PC counterparts, it’s important to ensure your Mac is best prepared for high-speed gaming. This is especially critical for e-sport games, such as Fortnite, where one small hiccup or performance hit could cost the match.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be an advanced Mac user to optimize it for faster performance — developers have spent years making clever apps that can do just that for you.
Set up your Mac for gaming with CMM X
Disk cleanup and protection against malware — all you need for a perfect gaming environment. CleanMyMac X gives you just that.
Troubleshoot your internet connection
If you're playing any online game, the first thing to check is that you have a strong and stable connection. Many users mistake slow performance with their hardware, when in fact it can be isolated to their internet.
Unfortunately, mousing over the WiFi icon in your menu bar doesn't tell you enough. That’s why WiFi Explorer was created. This app presents a much richer view of your network status with a few must-have features:
- See the band, range, signal quality, and security status of all available networks in your vicinity
- Use the network analyzer to identify channel or coverage conflicts. This is very useful for apartment buildings where WiFi routers are competing with each other for signal.
- View simple recommendations by WiFi Explorer to improve your connection based on best practices
- If you’re still running into issues, make use of the extensive help manual, which can help guide you through the troubleshooting process
Optimize disk space for your Mac
When you’re running out of disk space, the best games for Mac can begin to crawl because there’s not enough room to write new data to the drive. CleanMyMac X is a lightweight app that lets you manage your disk space and maintain your Mac for optimal performance. Some of its best features allow you to easily:
- Uninstall any app from your hard drive, including a shredder function to leave no trace behind. See a simple list of apps that you don’t use often, making it easier to determine what should go and what should stay.
- Perform a disk cleanup in just a few clicks, removing any unnecessary or fragmented files that can accumulate over time
- Protect your Mac from malicious software with the Malware Removal tool. Based on the most up-to-date attack libraries, your games can run at full speed without being hindered by background viruses.
- Optimize the performance of your Mac by letting CleanMyMac X run a series of scripts designed to surface some extra power
Monitor your Mac game performance
Half of knowing how to improve your Mac’s performance is understanding what the bottlenecks are. Instead of blindly speculating, use iStat Menus to see your current Mac status at a glance while playing the best games on Mac. iStat Menus is a fully fledged system monitor that integrates seamlessly with the menu bar. Some of the core features let you:
- See an overview of your Mac’s status, including CPU and GPU usage, fan speeds, temperatures, and more
- Customize your view, ensuring you’re only seeing the information you care about. Either minimize each figure to an icon in your menu bar or expand them into a single clickable window that provides more information.
- Experiment with different color schemes, including a dark mode that’s easy on the eyes
- Configure alerts that trigger when certain system performance criteria are met. For example, if your GPU temperature exceeds a specific figure, you can be notified.
It may sound like a lot of preparation, but when it comes to gaming you know that the extra performance can go a long way.
The best part is that WiFi Explorer, CleanMyMac X, and iStat Menus mentioned above are available for a free seven-day trial through Setapp — a subscription service for Mac which gives you access to over 150 powerful apps. Just head over to the Setapp homepage to get started, and you’ll be playing the best games for Mac right on your current laptop in no time.
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Finding good games for Mac® used to be slow and painful. There were very few games to choose from, and the options available were quite old. But things have definitely changed a lot.
Thanks to committed developers such as Aspyr, Feral Interactive, and even Blizzard and Valve, there are now lots of great, recent games you can play on your Mac. And with the continuous improvements of tools such as Parallels Desktop for Mac, playing Windows games on your Mac is becoming easier and easier.
Today Ric from MacgamerHQ.com will share ten of the best games you can play on macOS®, including some of the most exciting Mac games from 2018 and a few Windows-only games that run great thanks to Parallels Desktop.
Top Rated Computer Games For Macbook
1. Rise of the Tomb Raider
This action survival game is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Tomb Raider reboot from 2013. The game picks up right where its predecessor ended and takes Lara around the world in her quest to discover the secret of immortality.
This game has a solid story waiting for you, but what makes it great are the excellent survival elements, shooting mechanics, and insane action sequences. If you enjoy action adventure games, this is the best you will find on macOS.
Developed for Mac by Feral Interactive, Rise of the Tomb Raider is also one of the finest usages of Metal 2, the new graphics API from Apple. For the longest time, Mac games have suffered in terms of performance compared to Windows. With the improvements made to Metal 2 and the great job some studios have done to implement it, Mac games’ performance continues to improve. Also, having one of the best Mac computers for gaming certainly helps, too…
2. Fortnite: Battle Royale
Fortnite is such a sensation, it probably needs no introduction. But in the remote possibility that you’re not aware of this game, Fortnite is not only the most famous Battle Royale game right now, it’s the most famous game of the moment, period.
Pitting you in a huge map with 100 other players, you’ll need to scavenge weapons and armor to survive until you become the last man standing. Fortnite somehow creates tension and excitement for everyone involved, from the experienced to the beginners. That’s what makes it such a fun game to play.
Behind the playful graphics hides an intense game that is free to play. You read that right—the gaming sensation of the moment is one of the best free games for Mac. What are you waiting for?
3. Rocket League
Rocket League is one of those games that is hard to explain. Combining high-flying rocket-powered cars with soccer, the game pits you against another team, and you’ll need to use your battle-car to score.
That is, of course, easier said than done, because the game features an impressive physics-based gameplay that will require you to have perfect timing, placement, and anticipation in order to score. You can play solo against another opponent or as part of a team.
Needless to say, this is a multiplayer game that is ten times more fun when playing with friends. If you haven’t tried it yet and are looking for a team-focused online game, Rocket League is for you.
4. Civilization 6
Perhaps the best strategy game out there, we sure are glad that Aspyr brought Civilization 6 to MacOS. The follow-up to the stellar Civilization 5, Civ 6 lets you once again take the helm of an infant civilization and turn it into a mighty empire.
Your objective is simple: create the greatest and most powerful civilization in the World. It will then be up to you to decide how to best do it. Do you want to conquer the world using your mighty army? Or perhaps you want to create a trade empire that puts the other Civs to shame? It will be up to you. Even if you’ve played hundreds of hours of Civ games before, Civ 6 has plenty of new features and improvements in store for you.
Civ 6 also introduced new mechanics and improved graphics that take the franchise even further. A quick warning, though, Civ 6 is a very demanding game. In fact, you should have a modern Mac from 2016 onwards to properly enjoy it.
Your objective is simple: create the greatest and most powerful civilization in the World. It will then be up to you to decide how to best do it. Do you want to conquer the world using your mighty army? Or perhaps you want to create a trade empire that puts the other Civs to shame? It will be up to you. Even if you’ve played hundreds of hours of Civ games before, Civ 6 has plenty of new features and improvements in store for you.
Civ 6 also introduced new mechanics and improved graphics that take the franchise even further. A quick warning, though, Civ 6 is a very demanding game. In fact, you should have a modern Mac from 2016 onwards to properly enjoy it.
5. Subnautica
As you can see, some of the most famous AAA games support macOS. That’s great, but we can’t forget about all the world-class indie games that helped Mac gaming thrive.
Subnautica is one of the latest examples. In this survival adventure game, you’ll have to explore an alien underworld planet and gather whatever resources you can find to survive.
Subnautica somehow manages to find the right balance between survival and exploration. As you progress, you get to upgrade your equipment and go further into the depths to find better loot—but also face bigger dangers.
6. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
The sequel to one of the highest-rated RPGs of all time, Pillars of Eternity II broke crowdfunding records, raising over four million dollars. Those are insane figures, but I’m happy to report developer Obsidian made good use of every dollar it raised.
This isometric RPG managed to surpass the original in virtually every way. The game features a rich story, deep characters, a fascinating world, and improved tactical combat. Granted, this RPG is reminiscent to old-school RPGs, and if you’re looking for an action-heavy game, Pillars of Eternity might not be for you. But if you’re looking for a good story and fascinating world to immerse yourself in, give it a try.
7. DiRT Rally
DiRT Rally isn’t simply another racing game from Codemasters; this is probably their best game to date.
DiRT Rally features excellent gameplay that is both precise and exciting. The sense of speed is there, and you can always fine-tune the difficulty settings to suit your preferences. Whether you want a challenging simulation or an intense casual game, DiRT Rally can be both. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a rally fan or not—this game has so much to offer.
Plus, DiRT Rally is the perfect example of how to do a Mac port right. Feral Interactive somehow managed to create a bug-free game that looks great and can run flawlessly on older Mac computers.
8. Terraria
Described by many as Minecraft in 2D, Terraria is so much more than that.
In Terraria, every game takes place in a randomly generated world full of monsters to fight, rare resources to find, and dangerous caverns to explore. But then it’s up to you to decide the kind of game you want to play. You can focus on exploring the world in search of treasure and rare resources. You can seek one of the bosses that hide within the world and fight it to the death. Or you can build a city of your own and house mysterious allies.
Terraria may be a few years old, but because of its cool retro graphics and deep gameplay, it’s still an excellent game to play today.
9. Overwatch
In spite of all of these macOS-ready titles, there are a few games that are sorely missing.
Overwatch is one of those games. Released in 2016 and winner of most Game of the Year awards, this team-based multiplayer shooter keeps getting better and better. It currently has over 30 million registered players and has received countless free updates, including new characters and maps.
Overwatch is also the only game from Blizzard that doesn’t support macOS. That makes us miss it even more. Luckily, it can run beautifully on a Mac using Parallels Desktop. The Parallels team recently tested it again to make sure it runs properly under Windows 10 and Parallels Desktop. As you can see from the video below, the game runs beautifully.
Top Mac Games Free
So if you were disappointed that Overwatch is not available for Mac, you can still play it with the help of Parallels.
10. Crysis
But can it run Crysis? For the longest time, that was the question every hardcore PC gamer had in the back of their mind. After all, Crysis looked so good, it changed the perception of what games were capable of. Subsequent Crysis games were less ambitious in terms of graphics, but they remain some of the best shooters you can play, especially Crysis 3, the latest entry in the series.
Crysis 3 is an open-world first-person shooter set in New York. The campaign picks up after the events from Crysis 2 and is somewhat linear, unlike the original Crysis. But that isn’t a bad thing, as the campaign tells a compelling story full of fun and engaging missions. In a way, Crysis 3 is more a refinement of Crysis 2 than the breakthrough the first game was, but that’s ok because this is the best Crysis game you can experience today. Plus, Crysis 3 looks great without needing a $5,000 computer to run.
Created using the CryEngine, this is game you won’t be able to play natively on MacOS, but thanks to Parallels Desktop, you can still enjoy it on your Mac and expect a fluid and bug-free experience.
Conclusion
By now you should be convinced that macOS offers enough quality games to keep most gamers entertained.
And if you ever felt frustrated that the one game you were dying to play is not available on Mac, remember that you can always check if it works with Parallels Desktop. That includes demanding games such as Overwatch or brand-new games such as Jurassic World Evolution.
So, what will you be playing next?
So, what will you be playing next?
Thanks to Ric from MacgamerHQ.com for this very interesting Guest Blog post.
If you want to try out any Windows Game that doesn’t work on the Mac, check out these instructions how to make it work with Parallels Desktop for Mac and watch our Playlist with different Windows games that work perfectly on the Mac.