Mac gaming

Winsage
March 12, 2025
CodeWeavers has released CrossOver 25, enhancing the gaming experience for Mac users by expanding support for games from digital storefronts like GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Store. The update includes Wine 10.0, Wine Mono 9.4.0, vkd3d 1.14, MoltenVK 1.2.10, and D3DMetal 2.1, improving compatibility and performance. D3DMetal 2.1 enhances performance for major titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and adds support for The Last of Us: Part 1, along with other DirectX 11 games. The introduction of DXMT allows for running DirectX 11 titles on macOS, with reported performance improvements for lower-spec Macs. CrossOver 25 launches Steam faster and simplifies the setup process, featuring a new configuration system that optimizes graphics settings automatically. It can also enable AVX for titles requiring specific settings to run on Apple Silicon. CrossOver 25 is available for purchase, including a 12-month support option, while CrossOver Life offers a long-term solution for gamers.
AppWizard
November 25, 2024
The Steam Hardware Survey was initiated by Valve during the development of Half-Life 2 due to challenges in understanding hardware specifications. Jay Stelly, a senior engineer at Valve, noted that there was a lack of data on the hardware used by customers, prompting Valve to create a tool for players to report their hardware directly. This led to the launch of the Steam Hardware Survey in April 2003. The latest survey, released in October, shows significant changes in the gaming industry, including the dominance of Nvidia in artificial intelligence and ongoing competition between Intel and AMD. The metrics for core counts, storage, RAM, and clock speeds have increased, and Steam has become the primary platform for PC gaming, with Linux gaining traction and Mac gaming remaining niche.
AppWizard
November 4, 2024
The evolution of gaming on Mac has progressed significantly, with notable improvements in performance, particularly with the introduction of the M-series chips. The Mac Studio M2 Ultra and the 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max have demonstrated impressive gaming capabilities, with the latter achieving nearly 90 frames per second in Baldur's Gate 3 and maintaining around 50 FPS at high graphics settings. Historical data shows a clear trajectory of improvement in gaming performance across different MacBook models, with the M3 Max able to run Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 120 FPS at 1200p resolution. Despite these advancements, MacBooks still face challenges compared to dedicated GPUs from competitors like AMD and Nvidia. Upcoming M4 MacBooks are expected to further narrow the performance gap with Windows laptops, particularly as some Windows devices struggle with compatibility issues.
Winsage
September 2, 2024
Windows 11 is now the most popular operating system among gamers on Steam, with 50.8% usage among Windows PC gamers as of August, an increase of 3.4 percentage points from July. Windows 10 has decreased to 48.7% of users, down 3.3 percentage points from the previous month. Statcounter data shows Windows 10 was used on approximately 64.2% of Windows PCs in July, while Windows 11 had 31.6% market share. AMD holds one-third of the processor market, with the average gaming PC equipped with 16GB of RAM. Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 is the most popular graphics card at 5.5% market share. Full HD resolution is used by 57.3% of Windows PC gamers, while 2,560 x 1,440 is used by 20.2%. Among Mac gamers, the MacBook Pro is the most popular model at 34.3%, followed by the MacBook Air at 20.9%. Mac gamers typically use less memory, with 45.2% having 8GB and 34.2% having 16GB. The most common resolution for Mac gamers is 1,440 x 900.
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