Can Macs Become Gaming Machines? Inside Apple’s New Game Porting Toolkit

For a long time Macs were considered unsuitable for gaming due to hardware, APIs, and drivers not being designed for games, but Apple now aims to turn Macs into genuine gaming machines.

Apple Boosts Game Support

At WWDC23 Apple announced a “Game Mode” in macOS Sonoma that, when enabled, prioritises CPU and GPU resources for games and reduces latency for AirPods, Xbox and PlayStation controllers. The mode is intended for all games on the operating system.

Apple highlighted this effort by inviting renowned game designer Hideo Kojima and the Unity engine team to the keynote.

Game Porting Toolkit

Apple also unveiled a new Game Porting Toolkit that simplifies bringing Windows games to macOS. Historically developers used Wine or Crossover to translate Windows APIs for Mac, but Apple plans to integrate a similar solution directly into the system, akin to a SteamOS‑style compatibility layer for Apple‑silicon Macs.

The toolkit’s workflow is divided into three stages:

Evaluation – assess how the game runs on Apple Silicon.

Shader conversion – obtain and compile shaders for Mac.

Code conversion – translate and optimise code for Mac.

The first stage is often the most critical; many games run without code changes after evaluation.

Apple demonstrated the process with the horror game The Medium , which originally uses DirectX 12. DirectX 12 is Microsoft’s low‑level API suite for graphics, audio and input on Windows, and macOS has traditionally been unable to interpret its instructions, preventing DirectX 12 games from running under virtual machines like Parallels.

The core of Apple’s new toolkit is the CrossOver software from CodeWeavers, which recently added DirectX 12 support for macOS, allowing Windows games to run without a Windows OS installation.

Apple describes the toolkit as a simulation layer that lets developers quickly evaluate a Windows game’s performance on Mac, eliminating months of upfront work.

The toolkit can automatically migrate controller input, audio, graphics APIs, CPU instructions and other APIs. By importing a Windows game and launching it via command line, the migration occurs automatically within Apple’s emulation environment.

After testing with the Game Porting Toolkit, developers can use the new tools to convert DirectX graphics to Metal, enabling native‑performance gameplay. The macOS Sonoma SDK also supports native features such as game controllers, spatial audio and HDR video.

Shortly after the toolkit’s release, Reddit users reported playing titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Diablo IV on Apple hardware.

Why Is Apple Getting Into Gaming?

Apple’s push into gaming is strategic. In February, Apple Silicon VP Tim Millet said Apple is taking a long‑term approach rather than promising an overnight transformation. The launch of the M2 Ultra‑powered Mac Pro at WWDC23 marks the completion of Apple’s transition away from Intel, giving the company full control over its hardware‑software ecosystem.

Apple also introduced the high‑priced Apple Vision Pro, a spatial‑computing platform that could become a major venue for immersive gaming experiences.

Externally, Microsoft’s €69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, pending EU approval, will make Microsoft the third‑largest game company, adding pressure on Apple to strengthen its own gaming ecosystem.

Overall, Apple is positioning macOS and Apple Silicon as powerful, versatile platforms for gaming, hoping to attract developers and users alike and create significant value for the Apple ecosystem.