The Mac has plenty of games, but it'll always get the short end of the stick compared to Windows. If you want to play the latest games on your Mac, you have no choice but to install Windows ... or do you?
Jun 03, 2016 Whats Gaming like on a Mac? Can you game on a macbook? Can you game on a imac? In this video I do a gaming test on the 5k Imac! Use links below to support the channel. Buy Games For 40-60%. If the bulk of the games you play on the Mac are Steam games, your best bet before you fire up your favorite games—or before you hit the road with your Mac—is to let Steam do everything it needs to do long before you feel like playing anything. Patches, updates, new game installs, do it all before you play.
There are a few ways you can play Windows games on your Mac without having to dedicate a partition to Boot Camp or giving away vast amounts of hard drive space to a virtual machine app like VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop. Here are a few other options for playing Windows games on your Mac without the hassle or expense of having to install Windows.
GeForce Now
PC gaming on Mac? Yes you can, thanks to Nvidia's GeForce Now. The service allows users to play PC games from Steam or Battle.net on macOS devices. Better still, the graphic power of these games resides on Nvidia's servers. The biggest drawback: the service remains in beta, and there's been no announcement when the first full release is coming or what a monthly subscription will cost.
For now, at least, the service is free to try and enjoy. All supported GeForce NOW titles work on Macs, and yes, there are plenty of them already available!
The Wine Project
The Mac isn't the only computer whose users have wanted to run software designed for Windows. More than 20 years ago, a project was started to enable Windows software to work on POSIX-compliant operating systems like Linux. It's called The Wine Project, and the effort continues to this day. OS X is POSIX-compliant, too (it's Unix underneath all of Apple's gleam, after all), so Wine will run on the Mac also.
Wine is a recursive acronym that stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator. It's been around the Unix world for a very long time, and because OS X is a Unix-based operating system, it works on the Mac too.
As the name suggests, Wine isn't an emulator. The easiest way to think about it is as a compatibility layer that translates Windows Application Programming Interface (API) calls into something that the Mac can understand. So when a game says 'draw a square on the screen,' the Mac does what it's told.
You can use straight-up Wine if you're technically minded. It isn't for the faint of heart, although there are instructions online, and some kind souls have set up tutorials, which you can find using Google. Wine doesn't work with all games, so your best bet is for you to start searching for which games you'd like to play and whether anyone has instructions to get it working on the Mac using Wine.
Note: At the time of this writing, The Wine Project does not support macOS 10.15 Catalina.
CrossOver Mac
CodeWeavers took some of the sting out of Wine by making a Wine-derived app called CrossOver Mac. CrossOver Mac is Wine with specialized Mac support. Like Wine, it's a Windows compatibility layer for the Mac that enables some games to run.
CodeWeavers has modified the source code to Wine, made some improvements to configuration to make it easier, and provided support for their product, so you shouldn't be out in the cold if you have trouble getting things to run.
My experience with CrossOver — like Wine — is somewhat hit or miss. Its list of actual supported games is pretty small. Many other unsupported games do, in fact work — the CrossOver community has many notes about what to do or how to get them to work, which are referenced by the installation program. Still, if you're more comfortable with an app that's supported by a company, CrossOver may be worth a try. What's more, a free trial is available for download, so you won't be on the hook to pay anything to give it a shot.
Boxer
If you're an old-school gamer and have a hankering to play DOS-based PC games on your Mac, you may have good luck with Boxer. Boxer is a straight-up emulator designed especially for the Mac, which makes it possible to run DOS games without having to do any configuring, installing extra software, or messing around in the Mac Terminal app.
With Boxer, you can drag and drop CD-ROMs (or disk images) from the DOS games you'd like to play. It also wraps them into self-contained 'game boxes' to make them easy to play in the future and gives you a clean interface to find the games you have installed.
Boxer is built using DOSBox, a DOS emulation project that gets a lot of use over at GOG.com, a commercial game download service that houses hundreds of older PC games that work with the Mac. So if you've ever downloaded a GOG.com game that works using DOSBox, you'll have a basic idea of what to expect.
Some final thoughts
In the end, programs like the ones listed above aren't the most reliable way to play Windows games on your Mac, but they do give you an option.
Of course, another option is to run Windows on your Mac, via BootCamp or a virtual machine, which takes a little know-how and a lot of memory space on your Mac's hard drive.
How do you play your Windows games on Mac?
Let us know in the comment below!
Updated October 2019: Updated with the best options.
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Concepts everywhereAnother day, another iPhone 12 Pro concept. How much would you pay?
If reports are accurate we might be waiting a little while longer than normal for iPhone 12 Pro. But would you care if it looked like this?
Are there better first-person shooters than Call of Duty games? Probably. Nowadays, when gamers talk about first-person shooters, they usually talk about Fortnite or PUBG. But Call of Duty Mac games remain some of the finest FPS games for Mac.
It all started over 10 years ago with the original Call of Duty. That game was simply mind-blowing. The graphics, the scale of the battles, the Multiplayer, it puts all the competition to shame. The games only got better from there (peaking perhaps with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) and the fact each game breaks a new sales record is telling.
The formula is well-known: Solid graphics, Hollywood-worthy single-player campaigns, and extremely intense Multiplayer modes. In fact, the Multiplayer is so good, most players skip the single-player campaign altogether and go straight to Team Deathmatch (I know I do)! But the success doesn’t prevent people from criticizing the franchise. The graphics feel stale, yes, and the formula has barely changed since Modern Warfare.
Still, Call of Duty is one of the top franchises in gaming. Not all Call of Duties has made it to the Mac, but you would be surprised by the choices you currently have. This guide is meant to introduce you to all the Call of Duties out there and help you chose the best one for you. Starting with the latest… Plus, as some of the top FPS will probably never make it macOS (Overwatch comes to mind), Call of Duty games will help fill that void.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
Release date: May 2014
Modern Warfare 3 (along with Modern Warfare 2) surprised us only a few weeks ago. That last part is particularly a big deal since Steam has lots to offer: Steam-Play games can be played on both Windows and Mac (for the price of one copy) and also let you play competitive cross-platform multiplayer. Developed by Aspyr, Modern Warfare 3 is the most recent Call of Duty available on Mac. Besides having the best graphics the franchise has to offer (as you can see for yourself in the video below), the game concludes the story that started two games before. Without spoiling anything for you, Modern Warfare 3’s campaign is as intense and crazy as it can get.
But even if the campaign is solid, the competitive Multiplayer is where you’ll spend most of your time. The formula doesn’t change much but adds enough features to make a difference. For example, the entire Killstreak system has been replaced by a new system where kills are no longer the only way to go. Completing objectives also count, and the whole purpose is to encourage different play styles. Modern Warfare 3 also features a new mode, called Survival, where you and a friend get to fight endless waves of enemies, with each wave becoming increasingly difficult. Should you get it? If you’re a fan of the Call of Duty series, this is the one for you. Granted, at$39.99, this the most expensive game on the list, but it’s also the most feature-packed.Call of Duty: Black Ops
Release date: September 2012
Developed by Treyarch, Black Ops was the first Call of Duty game set in the Cold War. The campaign has everything you can expect from a COD. It has tons of explosions, missions taking place all over the world and memorable set-pieces. The story itself is good, but what really steals the show here are the Multiplayer and Zombie modes. Black Ops’ Multiplayer doesn’t reinvent the wheel, yet it takes things further with the introduction of hundreds of customization options, more perks, and new match modes. And just in case you don’t feel like saving the world or dominating the competitive Multiplayer mode, Black Ops also introduces a brand-new Zombie mode in which you play cooperatively with friends against endless waves of zombies (which get tougher and uglier with each wave).
Should you get it? Overall, Black Ops is a great package and that’s why it’s part of our Top 5 First-Person Shooters. But without the goodies, Steam-Play has to offer (for example, Black Ops doesn’t support cross-platform Multiplayer) and a price tag at $39.99, you’re better off with Modern Warfare 3.
Into first-person shooters? These are our favorites:
| Game | ★ Best Overall | Best for MacBook | Best Value |
| Genre | Co-op | Competitive | Battle Royale |
| Release date | 2012 | 2012 | 2017 |
| Metascore | |||
| Our rating | ★★★★★ Full Review | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ Full review |
| Requirements | ✅ Not Demanding | ✅ Not Demanding | ⚠️ Fairly Demanding |
| Check Price |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Release date: May 2014
Modern Warfare wasn’t as revolutionary as the first one was, but it still managed to improve the amazing Call of Duty 4’s formula. As far as the single-player campaign goes, this is a direct sequel to the original Modern Warfare story. Despite your best efforts in the previous game, the Ultranationalists seize control of the Russian Federation and begin a series of terrorist attacks. I won’t spoil the story for you, but the campaign is packed with impressive moments. For example, the infamous airport mission, which asks you to kill hundreds of innocent civilians is in there… As far as the Multiplayer goes, Modern Warfare 2 retains the same experience points and unlockable reward system as before. As it was expected, the developer-focused on adding new features, new weapons, equipment and perks that can be upgraded to “pro versions” after meeting certain requirements. Modern Warfare 2 also introduced the effective, but extremely annoying tactical nuke. After a 25 kill streak, the nuke gives you an instant victory and kill everyone on the map, including yourself…
Should you get it? At $19.99, Modern Warfare 2 is a great buy, perhaps the Call of Duty with the most bang for the buck. If you haven’t played newer COD games before, this one should be perfect for you.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Release date: September 2008
I keep referring to this one, and for good reason… Other Call of Duty games have perfected and improved the formula, but it was Call of Duty 4 that started it all. This was developer Infinity Ward’s first multi-million dollar hit. The game completely revolutionized the first-person genre, including a single-player campaign like we’ve never seen before and a completely revolutionary Multiplayer. Call of Duty 4 was the first game to pull off the Hollywood-worthy action sequences you and me now take for granted. It was also one of those rare COD games to have a story that was both engaging and made sense (just play Modern Warfare 2’s story and you’ll see what I mean). On the Multiplayer side, it introduced experience points, unlockable weapons, customizable classes, and perks. This sounds basic today, but that’s only because this game made it happen. Call of Duty 4 is also available on Steam and offers cross-platform Multiplayer. However, be aware that the Multiplayer is packed with cheaters…
Should you get it? This game could be the perfect introduction to the COD franchise, but at the same price as Modern Warfare 2 ($19.99), this is a hard sell. The only exception could be fans who absolutely want to experience the whole Modern Warfare campaign.
Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2
Release date: June 2006
This is as classic as it gets. Both Call of Duty 1 and 2 focused on the intensity of World War II’s battles and played an active role in the evolution of the First-Person genre. I will always remember COD 2’s single-player scale of the battles. It was the first time I actually felt like I was part of something bigger than just me and my M1 Garand (man, I loved that weapon!).
There was action everywhere and a ton of people to shoot at. The Multiplayer was also top-notch. The Xbox 360 only allowed 8 players in a single match, but you could push it to 64 players on the PC. That was HUGE back then. But alas, those days are long gone. These games deserve a place in history because of everything they did for the genre but it would be hard to fully enjoy them today.
Should you get them? If you enjoy old-school gaming, yes. If you are still rocking an older MacBook, this game could also be a good option as its requirements are pretty easy to fulfill nowadays. For the rest of you, you will be better off playing Modern Warfare 2 or 3, depending on your budget.
What next?
The Call of Duty franchise got better thanks to the recent release of Modern Warfare 2 and 3. Aspyr did a great job too, ensuring the games play smoothly and support Steam-Play. That said, the Mac still has some significant catching up to do. There are absolutely no signs of any of the newer Call of Duties coming anytime soon…
As always, the porting business is full of secrecy and Aspyr is no exception. We can only hope they’re working hard on bringing some more COD games to our platform of choice. So what’s your favorite Call of duty game? Let us know in the comments!
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