What type of games can you play on the new line of Macbooks?

Apple showcased the newest generation of Macbooks on Nov. 10. Apple has been quite vocal about how it’s aiming to stop using Intel chips soon—and that future has arrived. 

An in-house processor is bound to increase the performance of Macbooks, but it’s unclear what that means for gaming. Though Apple is a major player in the market, the number of Windows devices outnumbers Macbooks by a considerable margin. This means that Apple has to jump through more hoops to make its products work flawlessly with Intel’s processors. The same situation also made it harder for developers to work on Mac clients for their games since the demand wasn’t high enough to justify the time investment.

While some games like League of Legends have native Mac clients, most users had to install Windows on their Mac devices just to be able to run their favorite games. Installing another operating system on your Mac may feel like it’s defeating the whole purpose of owning one, but there isn’t much else to do if you’re looking to game on one.

Can you play Windows 10 games on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

The answer to “can you play games on Silicon Arm Macs” is both a yes and no, for now. During the presentation, Apple showcased that the new line of Macbooks is more than powerful enough to offer a smooth gaming experience.

Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate III ran well on the stage and there didn’t seem to be any frame drops. Power isn’t the problem with the new Macbooks, however. Apple’s M1 chipset is an ARM CPU, meaning the Bootcamp tool that allowed users to install Windows on their systems won’t work anymore. 

ARM CPUs aren’t compatible with x86 or Windows 10. Though there’s an ARM version of Windows, not many programs work on it since they’re mostly written for x86 operating systems. With Bootcamp gone, Silicon Arm Macbook owners won’t be able to install Windows, which means they won’t have access to titles that only work on Windows 10.

Players will have access to a sizable library of mobile games since the M1 chipset will let the Silicon Macbooks run iPhone and iPad apps. While these games won’t be comparable to any AAA title, they can still be a nice source of fun while you wait for more game developers to work on ARM ports of their games.

Can you play League of Legends on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

League of Legends has a Mac OS client. Though Riot Games already supports Mac OS, it’ll still need to port the game to ARM, which will be relatively more straightforward compared to titles without Mac OS support. 

League’s Mac OS client won’t work on Silicon Arm Macbooks during the launch period, but we recommend keeping an eye on the developer’s supported platforms list for more updates.

Can you play Hearthstone on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Hearthstone is another game that has a native Mac OS client. Though the port has been known for not running as smooth as the PC version, Mac users have been able to enjoy Hearthstone without problems.

Like Riot, Blizzard will also need to port its game to ARM. Given that Hearthstone is a card game and it already has a Mac port, it’ll also have a slightly easier time making the transition.

Hearthstone is unlikely to be available for players on Silicon Arm Macbooks during the release period, though. If Blizzard decides to make the game available on the new Macs, it should let its fans know through social media while updating the Hearthstone’s system requirements page at the same time.

Considering the game also has a mobile version, Blizzard can simply port it to work on ARM processors before its PC version, meaning Hearthstone could be one of the first esports titles to run on Silicon Arm Macbooks.

Can you play CS:GO on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Though it may not give this impression to some fans, Valve tries its best to make all of its games available on as many platforms as possible. CS:GO has a Mac OS client, but Valve will need to take necessary measures to make it available on Silicon Arm Macbooks as well.

The game has a history of dropping support since it never became available on PlayStation 4 while it had a port for its predecessor. While CS:GO won’t run on Silicon Arm Macbooks at launch, it’s future will also be a mystery until Valve clarifies it.

Can you play Overwatch on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Overwatch doesn’t have a Mac client, and since it was released five years ago, it looks like Blizzard doesn’t plan on making it available on the platform. The Bootcamp method was the only way of playing Overwatch on a Mac and the game won’t be playable on the Silicon Arm Macbooks until it becomes available again.

Can you play Dota 2 on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Like its main rival, League, Dota 2 also has a Mac OS client. While the port has had its issues in the past, it runs well on Macbook models with better hardware.

The Silicon Arm Macbooks pack specs beyond Dota 2’s recommended system requirements, but Valve will need to take its time to port it to Apple’s ARM processor. This means that Dota 2 won’t work on Silicon Arm Macbooks until Valve ports it or Apple releases news regarding Bootcamp.

Can you play VALORANT on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Though most gamers will want to forget about 2020, it’s been quite a successful year for Riot. The developer’s attempt at a shooter game, VALORANT, turned out to be a major success—and it may even challenge CS:GO’s throne as the most competitive shooter title.

VALORANT is only available on Windows systems. It doesn’t look like it’ll be available on any other platform since Riot’s focusing on improving the game’s competitive aspects instead of making it available on more platforms.

VALORANT won’t be available for play on Silicon Arm Macbooks, but it could be on Riot’s list if the company ever decides to port the game to other platforms.

Can you play Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Call of Duty titles are always available on both consoles and Windows PCs. Call of Duty: Black Ops III was the last title in the series that had a Mac OS client and the franchise hasn’t been available on the platform since then.

Considering each year brings a new CoD game from a different developer, the Call of Duty series is unlikely to be available on Silicon Arm Macbooks both now and in the future.

Can you play Apex Legends on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale, Apex Legends, is available on six different platforms, but Mac OS isn’t one of them.

Apex won’t run natively on Silicon Arm Macbooks upon launch, but players may have a shot at trying it out if Bootcamp becomes available again.

Can you play Fortnite on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Fortnite owes most of its success to being available on a lot of platforms. Mac OS has been one of them, but Epic’s feud vs. Apple has made it harder for the developer to maintain its game on the platform.

Fortnite currently has a Mac OS client and Epic would probably be one of the first developers to port its game to the Silicon Arm Macbooks, but it may need to hold back until its lawsuit against Apple is resolved.

Fortnite won’t be playable on Silicon Arm Macbooks during its launch period and the court will decide its future in 2021.

Can you play PUBG on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

PUBG won’t be playable on Silicon Arm Macbooks upon launch, but there may be a solution to that. Silicon Arm Macbooks will be able to run iOS and iPad OS apps, which include PUBG Mobile.

Though it won’t be the same experience, PUBG Mobile has a higher chance of becoming available on Silicon Arm Macbooks than its PC version.

Can you play Teamfight Tactics on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Teamfight Tactics has a Mac OS client, but Riot will need to port it ARM. This means that TFT won’t be available on Silicon Arm Macbooks during its launch period.

Since the game is available on iOS and Apple’s ARM chipset will be able to run iOS apps, Teamfight Tactics could start running on Silicon Arm Macbooks sooner than some fans might expect.

Can you play Magic: The Gathering Arena on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Magic: The Gathering Arena may have a Mac OS client, but Wizards of the Coast will still need to update it to work on ARM processors.

MTGA won’t be available on Silicon Arm Macbooks at release. But with an iOS app at its disposal, MTG Arena could start running on Silicon Arm Macbooks relatively easier than titles like Dota 2 or Apex.

Can you play Rainbow Six Siege on Silicon Arm Macbooks?

Rainbow Six Siege runs on more than four platforms, but Mac OS isn’t one of them. It was possible to play Siege on Macbooks through the Bootcamp method, but with that out of the way for now, Mac users won’t be able to play the game on Silicon Arm Macbooks.

While Ubisoft doesn’t have any plans on porting Siege to Mac OS, Bootcamp’s return could reunite Mac gamers with the tactical shooter.

Bootcamp’s feature on Silicon Arm Macbooks is unknown. If Apple and Microsoft collaborate once again to bring back the software, any PC game you can imagine will work on Silicon Arm Macbooks.

The game performance will be up for debate, however, since Apple is also looking to drop support for eGPUs. EGPUs are external graphics card slots that take laptops without gaming-grade GPUs to the next level. They allow gamers to hook up a full-blown gaming graphics card to their laptops, making it possible to play more demanding games.