What if the Windows PC ceased to be the only computer on which to enjoy the most ambitious video games? This is a bit of what is emerging in the current video game scene. For a long time the poor cousin of gaming with iMacs or MacBooks that weren’t the right size for it, Apple sent a chill and excitement among developers with the arrival of its powerful M1 and M2 chips.
From now on, Apple-branded computers are presented as powerful monsters capable of everything in terms of creative productivity, from the most ambitious video or audio editing with 4K or even 8K content, to the craziest 3D creations. So, obviously, it wasn’t going to take long for Apple to look at video games and more so through its Apple Arcade service.
The M1 chip, Apple’s game card
From October 28 Resident Evil Village is available on Mac. Capcom’s horror game, which was released for consoles and PC last year, has been hailed for its atmosphere and especially its graphics. A demanding “real game” that now also runs on Apple computers. But a gluttony of performance that however requires having a machine with an M1 or M2 chip; Therefore, Apple devices with an Intel processor are excluded. A sign that something is really brewing for Apple gamers.
R.E. village It is not the first important title that settles in Apple. But for a long time, due to the lack of a sufficient pool of players, developers were reluctant to design versions for macOS, the operating system for Mac computers.
The arrival of the M1 chip changed the situation and showed that the most demanding games could be run without the machine suffering, with the same quality of detail as on PC. If most games should start pointing nose-tips next year, developers are more likely to adapt their more or less recent work for the latest Macs.
There are now games that can be downloaded from the App Store or dedicated spaces on Steam like the Epic Game Store. So it is possible to play Rise of the Tomb Raider, Myst (special version M1 and following chip), Soccer Manager 2023 either cup head Y asphalt 9.
Know that if you want to play on your MacBook at any cost, even old, you can use alternatives like cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games can be accessed from Safari.
GeForce Now offers an identical solution for games from Steam, Gog, Epic, and others. Or Shadow provides a Windows environment from its downloadable software, powerfully set up on a server, to access PC games…on Mac.
Games to try on Mac
Here is a selection of games that can be played on iMac, Mac, or even MacBook Air and Pro. Some also run easily on the latest computers with an Intel processor (released before 2021).
Resident Evil Village
Do you want to play scare? Between the game of survival and horror, Resident Evil Village it is perfect to play with the nerves of the players. After RE7 Biological risk, Ethan Winters, his wife Mia and their daughter Rose have quietly settled in, far from their nightmares of yesteryear. But Rose is kidnapped and Ethan finds himself investigating a strange and hostile abandoned town. To play on Apple with at least an M1 chip and running macOS Monterey or Ventura.
cup head
Beneath his cartoonish appearance, cup head is one of the most difficult and demanding games in recent years. Retro-style (1930s style) hand-drawn fighting game pits its two heroes against different bosses, each one stronger than the other, all set to jazz music. A nervous game with sharp gameplay.
elysee nightclub
It’s hard to resist one of the surprise hits of recent years. Combining point’n’click and textual dice, this RPG has you play an amnesiac cop coming to his senses in a hotel room after a night of drinking. He must investigate a murder. The choices made will be decisive for the course of the investigation and for the fate of our detective.
The Rise of the Tomb Raider
If you haven’t experienced the latest adventures of young Lara Croft, the latest trilogy is available for Mac. The 20th Anniversary Edition also offers all the expansions released for PC and consoles with the game.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
The game has benefited from an optimization for the M1 chip, whether on Macs or iPads equipped with the same chip. Considered one of the best role-playing games in history, Divinity: Original Sin 2 it is offered in the same version as for Windows PC, which is also visually beautiful. And the title goes even further on Mac with HDR support and iCloud backups for playback on different media.
The Sims 4
Now free to download, The Sims 4 is a life simulation game that requires quite a powerful computer to avoid sticking out your tongue when you want to build your dream house on multiple levels or add the many extensions like university, city life, Star Wars or add pets. But it is fully playable with keyboard and pad/mouse.
mystical
For the nostalgic, mystical will bring back some memories. A cult game from the early 1990s is renewed in a version specially optimized for M1 chip devices. But it’s still the same recipe as the original game, with its challenging puzzles, engrossing settings, and gripping soundtrack. The game is more beautiful (playable in 4K) and enriched with some new features.
The scenario remains the same. The player is transported to a mysterious island where he must find out what happened to Atrus, the author of a strange book, and his children. Solving the various puzzles unlocks areas to explore.
Source: BFM TV
