Cuphead on M1 Mac: Runs great on Apple Silicon processors

Cuphead runs great on M1 Macs via Rosetta 2.

With its 1930’s-inspired hand-drawn graphics, original jazz soundtrack, and notoriously difficult gameplay, Cuphead wowed the entire gaming scene.

And even today, thanks to its tight run-and-gun gameplay and epic boss battles, Cuphead remains one of the best action games on macOS.

[toc]​ With its 1930’s-inspired hand-drawn graphics, original jazz soundtrack, and notoriously difficult gameplay, Cuphead wowed the entire gaming scene.

And even today, thanks to its tight run-and-gun gameplay and epic boss battles, Cuphead remains one of the best action games on macOS.

More M1 gaming? Visit our M1 Supported Games list for 100+ Mac games we have tested and confirmed as M1-compatible.

Cuphead M1 Mac support

Cuphead runs great on M1 and M2 Macs with Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2.

Cuphead M1 support (using Rosetta 2 and Metal)

As you can see below, the game is still written for Intel-based Macs, but thanks to Rosetta 2, Cuphead can nonetheless run great on M1 Macs.

What is Rosetta 2? Rosetta 2 is a translation process that enables an M1 Mac with Apple silicon to use apps built for Intel-based Macs.

Can Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course DLC run on M1 Macs?

Just as the base game, The Delicious Last Course DLC runs great on both M1 and M2 Macs. And this is good, as this new DLC is an excellent addition to the game and a must-have for any Cuphead fan.

Other M1 games you may like:

	Pokemon Quest	Adventure	iOS
	Terraria	Adventure	Rosetta

We tested the game using the following M1 Mac:

13-inch MacBook Air (2020): Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU, 8 GB RAM

Cuphead M1 Mac benchmarks

These are all the official benchmarks results so far (including tests from other members of the community):

As a reminder, this is how we describe the different levels of performance:

• Below 20 FPS: Unplayable: Laggy gameplay, full of stutters and slowdowns.
• 20-30 FPS: Borderline: Can be OK in slow-paced games. Still, not optimal.
• 30-45 FPS: Playable: Acceptable for most (most gaming consoles do this).
• 45-60 FPS: Smooth: Fluid gameplay, with no perceivable stutters.
• 60+ FPS: Very Smooth: For hardcore and professional players, a luxury for most.

We usually aim for 30 FPS, because 30 FPS is enough to guarantee a smooth and fluid experience for most casual gamers.

Cuphead Mac requirements

These are the game’s official Mac requirements:

⚠️ According to these system requirements, a Mac with integrated graphics should not be able to run it. But we can confirm it’s definitely possible.

Cuphead on Mac: Verdict

Cuphead took its time to arrive to macOS. More than a year. But that time was well spent, as Cuphead works flawlessly on Mac and features everything the Windows version of the game does, including full controller support, which you’ll definitely need.

Cuphead M1 Air Mac gameplay

And as mentioned before, Cuphead is one of the best action-adventure games available. And that applies to Mac, Windows, and even consoles. And as a bonus, Cuphead also happens to be an excellent co-op game you can play on the same machine.

Cuphead Mac download

You can download Cuphead from Humble Bundle or Steam.

But more importantly, if you have your own M1 test results to share, on this game or another, let us know on our Discord server!