From the studio behind the critically acclaimed The Witcher games comes Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most ambitious open-world action RPGs created to date. But Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t get the reception it expected. Due to extremely poor performance and bugs, the game was one of 2020’s biggest disappointments.
Slowly, CD Projekt RED slowly patched it up with free updates and fixes. Word on the street was that the game was actually playable (and good), but this week, with the release of Cyberpunk 2077’s free 2.0 update, the game has finally reached its full potential. With several major new features, hundreds of fixes, and significant performance improvements, Cyberpunk 2077 is officially an excellent RPG. But can your Mac run it?
Can you play Cyberpunk 2077 on Mac?
Despite not officially supporting macOS, Cyberpunk 2077 can be played on Mac thanks to virtualization tools such as CrossOver for Apple Silicon M1 Macs and Bootcamp for Intel Macs.
A few months ago, Apple revealed their Game Porting Kit, a tool that allows Windows games, including those that use DirectX 12, to run on macOS. The Game Porting Kit was created for devs, but that didn’t prevent the average Mac gamer from using it to run their favorite Windows games on macOS, including Cyberpunk 2077. In fact, the game could be seen running, but with mediocre performance. Many outlets used this as an example of how poor gaming on a Mac was.
But both Apple’s Game Porting Kit (and Crossover) have received several updates, and as of today, Cyberpunk 2077 can run at decent performance levels on Apple Silicon machines.
| Cyberpunk 2077 macOS support | |
| Native support: | ⛔ No macOS port |
| CrossOver: | ✅ Compatible |
| Parallels: | ⛔ DirectX12 game |
| Streaming: | ✅ Compatible |
PS: If you have an Intel Mac, you can run Cyberpunk 2077 using Bootcamp.
How to play Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 on Mac
While we prefer to run our games natively, some games are so good we are willing to boot Windows to play them. Valorant, PUBG, and even Overwatch 2 come to mind, but Cyberpunk is definitely one of those games too. But what is the best way to run it on a Mac using Windows?
Cyberpunk 2077 on M1 Mac setup
As tested and demonstrated by our friend MacProTips on YouTube, Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 runs surprisingly well on M1 machines. Using CrossOver in combination with Apple’s Game Porting Kit on an M1 Max, he ran the game at an average of 40 to 45 FPS at 1920×1080 and Medium settings.
But performance takes a hit when engaging in intense sequences, such as running around shooting enemies. The lowest performance we experienced was 29 FPS during gun fights. To be fair, the gameplay was still acceptable and felt oddly smooth, but lower than 30 FPS is a performance level that many won’t tolerate.
Bottom line: If you have an entry-level M1, M2, M1 Pro, or M2 Pro machine, performance will be too low for you to enjoy this game. The M1 Max we used for our tests is one of the most powerful Apple Silicon machines available, and it struggled at times.
Setup:
- Mac: 14-inch M1 Max Macbook Pro with 32GB RAM
- Method: CrossOver 22 + CXPatcher + GPTK (this video covers how to use CrossOver with GPTK)
Settings used:
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- Texture Quality: Medium
- VSync: 165
- Field of View: 80
By the way, there are several methods to play Windows games on Mac, each with its advantages and drawbacks. Just be aware that some of these methods won’t work on all games…
| Method | Cost | Windows required? | Reboot required? | M1 Mac support? | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrossOver | Free | No | No | Yes | ✅ Extremely easy to use ✅ Good performance ❌ Complicated to set up ❌ Not compatible with all games |
| Parallels | $79.99 | Yes | No | Yes | ✅ Easy to use ❌ Limited performance ❌ Requires a Windows lincense |
| Bootcamp | Free | Yes | Yes | No | ✅ Great performance ❌ Constant rebooting ❌ Only supports Intel Macs |
| Streaming | Varies | No | No | Yes | ✅ Good performance ❌ Requires excellent internet access ❌ Expensive |
Cyberpunk 2077 on M1 Max gameplay
Is Cyberpunk 2077 ever coming to Mac?
Given the poor track record of CD Projekt RED games on Mac, it is highly unlikely that Cyberpunk 2077 will be released natively on macOS. Their last game to officially support was The Witcher 2, and that version has been broken on macOS for years now… Porting company Virtual Programming used to port CD Projekt RED games to Mac, but that clearly that partnership ended more than a decade ago…
Cyberpunk 2077 “Mac” requirements
You won’t be able to find official Cyberpunk 2077 Mac requirements, but if you’re thinking about using CrossOver or Boot Camp, the game’s Windows requirements are still relevant:
| Minimum Requirements | |
| OS: | 64-bit Windows 7 OR 64-bit Windows 10 |
| DirectX: | DirectX 12 |
| Processor: | Intel Core i5 – 3570K or AMD FX – 8310 |
| Memory: | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB OR AMD Radeon RX 470 |
| Hard Drive: | 70 GB |
Mac games like Cyberpunk 2077
If you’re not feeling like dealing with Apple’s GPTK or CrossOver and simply want a native macOS game, there are several top-tier RPGs that can quench that thirst. The game that comes to mind is Baldur’s Gate 3, a Game of the Year contender that now supports Apple Silicon Macs natively.
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