Apple has made a major move by introducing its proprietary Apple M1 chip, which now powers the latest Mac models. And it doesn’t stop there—future Macs will also feature Apple’s custom chips. The Apple M1 is an impressive, high-performance chip that includes an 8-core GPU capable of handling many modern games in high graphics while maintaining excellent battery life. In this article, we’ll dive into the list of games you can play on M1-powered Macs.
Update: Apple has now released the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, offering even more power than the original M1 chip. In terms of performance, the chips rank as follows: M1 < M1 Pro < M1 Max. Additionally, the M2 chip has arrived with some minor upgrades over the M1.
While macOS is known for its smooth, efficient performance, gaming hasn’t traditionally been its strong suit, with most gamers opting for Windows-based PCs. But with the arrival of the Apple M1 chip, the gaming experience has been significantly enhanced, even without the need for a dedicated GPU. Many users have already tested several games on the M1 Macs and shared their findings on various platforms.
The Apple M1 chip is featured in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13″, and Mac Mini. While the gaming performance may vary slightly across these models due to differences in hardware, all three will be capable of running the games listed here.
Games Compatible with M1 Macs
For gamers with an M1-powered Mac, you’ll be pleased to know that you can enjoy popular titles like Borderlands 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Diablo 3, Dota 2, Minecraft, and many others. The list of compatible games is extensive, and we hope you find your favorite among them to play on your M1 Mac.
As the Apple M1 chip is still relatively new, many gamers with M1 Macs have had the same question: Can I play computer games on my new M1 Mac? It’s a common concern—and one that I was curious about as well. After some research, I compiled a list of popular games that work well on M1 Macs.
A big thanks to developer and designer Thomas Schranz for compiling a complete list of supported games. He has shared this list on a Google sheet, and we’re excited to pass it along to you. Feel free to share it with friends who own an M1 Mac.
Important Note: While the list features many games, some may not run natively on Macs. However, workarounds like sideloading, using Parallels to run Windows, utilizing the Steam client, or exploring cloud gaming options can provide solutions. Also, certain games may run at lower frame rates.
List of Games for M1 Macs
| 112 Operator |
| A Dance Of Fire And Ice |
| A Hat in Time |
| A Total War Saga: Troy |
| AER: Memories of Old |
| Age of Empires HD Edition |
| Age of Empires II HD Edition |
| Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition |
| Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition |
| Age of Mythology: Extended Edition |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall |
| Albion Online |
| Alien Swarm Reactive Drop |
| Alien Isolation |
| American Truck Simulator |
| Among Us |
| Aperture Tag: The Paint Gun Testing Initiative |
| Apex Legends |
| Arma 2 |
| Asphalt 9 Legends |
| Assassin’s Creed Rogue |
| Assetto Corsa |
| Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game |
| Baba is You |
| Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition |
| Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 |
| Banished |
| Barotrauma |
| Bastion |
| Batman: Arkham City |
| BattleBlock Theater |
| Battlefield 3 |
| Battlefield Bad Company 2 |
| Bayonetta |
| BeamNG.drive |
| Bioshock Remastered |
| Bioshock 2: Remastered |
| Bloons TD 6 |
| Bloons TD Battles |
| Bomber Crew |
| Borderlands 2 |
| Borderlands 3 |
| Call of Duty Mobile |
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops III |
| Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 |
| Carmageddon |
| Castle Crashers |
| Caves of Qud |
| Cities: Skylines |
| Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword |
| Civilization V |
| Civilization VI |
| Civilization: Beyond Earth |
| Clash of Clans |
| Clash Royale |
| Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 |
| Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars |
| Company of Heroes 2 |
| Conarium |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) |
| Crusader Kings II |
| Crusader Kings III |
| Crysis |
| Cuphead |
| Cyberpunk 2077 |
| Dancing Line |
| Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc |
| Dark Raider |
| Dark Souls Remastered |
| Dark Souls II: Scholar of The First Sin |
| Dark Souls III |
| Darkest Dungeon |
| Darkwood |
| Dawn of Man |
| Dayturn viewer for OpenSim |
| Dead Cells |
| Dead Trigger 2 |
| Defcon |
| Desperados 3 |
| Destiny 2 |
| Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided |
| Devil Daggers |
| Devil May Cry 5 |
| Diablo 2 |
| Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction |
| Diablo 3 |
| Diablo III: Reaper of Souls |
| Dicey Dungeons |
| Dirt 4 |
| Dirt Rally |
| Disco Elysium |
| Divinity: Original Sin II |
| Dolphin Emulator (Super Smash Bros Melee) |
| Dominions 5 |
| Don’t Starve Together |
| Doom |
| Doom 3 |
| DOSBox |
| DOTA 2 |
| Dota Underlords |
| Downwell |
| Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition |
| Dragon Quest VIII |
| Dragon Raja |
| Drawful 2 |
| Dreamfall Chapters |
| Dungeon Warfare 2 |
| Dust: An Elysian Tail |
| Dying Light |
| EMERGENCY 20 |
| Empire: Total War |
| Endless Space 2 |
| Enter the Gungeon |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 |
| Europa Universalis IV |
| Everspace |
| Exapunks |
| F1 2017 |
| F1 Mobile Racing |
| Factorio |
| Fallout 2 |
| Fallout 4 |
| Fallout New Vegas |
| Far Cry 2 |
| Far Cry 3 |
| Farming Simulator (2013) |
| Farming Simulator (2017) |
| Farming Simulator (2019) |
| Fear 3 |
| Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark |
| Final Fantasy VII |
| Final Fantasy XIV |
| Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers |
| Firewatch |
| Flashing Lights |
| FlatOut 2 |
| Football Manager 2000 |
| Football Manager 2021 |
| Fortnite |
| FTL: Faster Than Light |
| Game Dev Tycoon |
| Geometry Dash |
| Gnomoria |
| Golf with your friends |
| Gothic 1 |
| Gothic 2 Gold Edition |
| Grand Theft Auto 3 (GTA III) |
| Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA IV) |
| Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V) |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
| Graveyard Keeper |
| Grid AutoSport |
| Griftlands (Early Access) |
| Grim Dawn |
| Grim Fandango Remastered |
| Gris |
| Guild Wars 2 |
| Hades |
| Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (The Master Chief Collection) |
| Hearthstone |
| Hearts of Iron 4 |
| Heroes of the Storm |
| Hitman |
| Hitman 2 |
| Hitman Absolution |
| Hollow Knight |
| Homefront |
| House Flipper |
| Human Resource Machine |
| Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition |
| Ikaruga |
| Imperator: Rome |
| Infectonator 3: Apocalypse |
| Infinifactory |
| Inside |
| Insurgency |
| Interplanetary: Enhanced Edition |
| Into the Breach |
| Jackbox Party Pack 3 |
| Jagged Alliance Gold |
| Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast |
| Kentucky Road Zero |
| Kerbal Space Program |
| Killing Floor 2 |
| Kingdoms & Castles |
| Krunker |
| L.A. Noire |
| Left 4 Dead 2 |
| LEGO Batman 3 Beyond Gotham |
| LEGO DC Super-Villains |
| LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga |
| League of Legends |
| Legend of Grimrock |
| Legend of Keepers |
| Legends of Runeterra |
| Life Is Strange |
| Limbo |
| Lunar: Silver Star Story Touch |
| Mad Max |
| Mafia II Definitive Edition |
| Mafia III Definitive Edition |
| Magic: The Gathering Arena |
| Manifold Garden |
| Mario Sunshine (Dolphin GameCube) |
| Marvel Strike Force |
| Mass Effect |
| Mass Effect 2 |
| Medieval II: Total War |
| Mega Man 11 |
| Megaquarium |
| Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes |
| Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain |
| Metro 2033 Redux |
| Metro Exodus |
| Metro Last Light Redux |
| MicroTown |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor |
| Minecraft |
| Minecraft: Java Edition |
| Mini Metro |
| Monster Train |
| Monument Valley |
| MX vs ATV (Reflex) |
| My Summer Car |
| Naruto Online |
| Need for Speed – No limits |
| Neoverse |
| Neverwinter |
| Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition |
| Nexomon |
| Noita |
| Northgard |
| Obduction |
| Offworld Trading Company |
| Old School RunScape |
| Opus Magnum |
| Ori and the Blind Forest |
| Outer Wilds |
| Oxygen Not Included |
| Paper Mario: TTYD (Dolphin Emulator) |
| Papers, Please |
| Parkitect |
| PascalsWager (version 1.6.2) |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker |
| Persona 4 Golden |
| Phasmophobia |
| Pillars of Eternity |
| Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire |
| Plague Inc |
| Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition |
| Planet Coaster |
| Planetary Annihilation: Titans |
| Poly Bridge 2 |
| Portal |
| Portal 2 |
| Post Void |
| Prison Architect |
| Professor Layton and the Curious Village |
| Project Cars |
| Project Highrise |
| PUBG Mobile |
| Ravenfield |
| Rigs of Rods (RoR) |
| RimWorld |
| Rise of Industry |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider |
| Risen 1 |
| Risen 3 Titan Lords |
| Rocket League |
| Rocksmith 2014 Edition – Remastered |
| Rome: Total War |
| RuneScape |
| Running with Rifles |
| Rust |
| Salt and Sanctuary |
| Samurai Jack |
| Scrap Mechanics |
| Second Galaxy |
| Second Life |
| Second Life Viewer |
| Serious Sam 3 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider |
| Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun |
| Shadow Warrior 2 |
| ShellShock Live |
| SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition |
| Simmiland |
| Skullgirls |
| Sky: Children of the Light |
| Slay the Spire |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition |
| Slime Rancher |
| Soma |
| Sonic Mania |
| Soul Knight |
| SouthPark Phone Destroyer |
| Space Crew |
| Space Haven |
| Spelunky |
| Spelunky 2 |
| Spintires Original |
| Star Trek Online |
| Star Wars Battlefield II (Classic 2005) |
| Star Wars: Empire at War |
| Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
| Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 |
| Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition |
| Star Wars: The Old Republic |
| Starbound |
| StarCraft II |
| Stardew Valley |
| Starship Titanic |
| Stellaris |
| Stepmania 5.3 OutFox |
| Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Edition |
| Street Legal Racing Redline |
| Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones |
| Subnautica |
| Subway Surfer |
| Sunless Sea |
| Superhot |
| Super World Box |
| Superliminal |
| Surviving Mars |
| Synthetik Ultimate |
| System Shock 2 |
| Tabletop Simulator |
| Talisman: Digital Edition |
| Tank Mechanic Simulator |
| Tannenberg |
| Team Fortress 2 |
| Terraria |
| The Banner Saga |
| The Battle for Middle Earth |
| The Battle for Wesnoth |
| The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+ |
| The Binding of Isaac Rebirth |
| The Darkness II |
| The Elder Scrolls Online |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition |
| The Escapists 2 |
| The Evil Within |
| The Evil Within 2 |
| The Flame in the Flood |
| The Forest |
| The Legend of Pirates Online |
| The Long Dark |
| The Pathless |
| The Sims 2 Super Collection |
| The Sims 3 |
| The Sims 4 |
| The Stanley Parable |
| The Walking Dead |
| The Way |
| The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut (Crossover) |
| The Witness |
| The Wolf Among Us |
| Thief Simulator |
| Thimbleweed Park |
| This War of Mine |
| Tomb Raider |
| Torchlight II |
| Torment: Tides of Numenera |
| Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition |
| Total War: Napolean – Definitive Edition |
| Total War: ROME II – Emperor Edition |
| Total War: Shogun 2 |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms |
| Total War: Warhammer 2 |
| Totally Accurate Battle Simulator |
| Totally Reliable Delivery Service Beta |
| Towers of Everland |
| Townscaper |
| Trackmanie Turbo |
| Train Simulator 2021 |
| Train Valley 2 |
| Transistor |
| Transport Fever (1) |
| Tricky Towers |
| Tropico 4 |
| Tropico 6 |
| Two Point Hospital |
| Tyranny |
| Ultimate Chicken Horse |
| Undermine |
| Undertale |
| Universe Sandbox |
| Universim |
| Untitled Goose Game |
| Use Your Words |
| VA-11 Hall-A Cyberpunk Bartender Action |
| Vaporum |
| Warcraft III Reforged |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Chaos Rising |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Retribution |
| Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus |
| Warlords Classic |
| Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut |
| Wasteland 3 |
| Who’s Your Daddy |
| Witcher 3 |
| World of Hex (3.0.7) |
| World of Tanks |
| World of Tanks Blitz |
| World of Warcraft |
| World of Warcraft (Classic) |
| World of Warships |
| Worms Ultimate Mayhem |
| Wreckfest |
| X-Plane 10 (10.51r2) |
| X-Plane 11 |
| X-Plane Mobile |
| XCOM 2 |
| Ziggurat 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can all games run natively on M1 Macs, or do some require additional tools?
Not all games run natively on M1 Macs. Some games work seamlessly, while others require Rosetta 2, Parallels (for Windows gaming), or cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming to function properly.
What are some of the best games that run well on M1 Macs?
Popular titles that perform well include Minecraft, Dota 2, Civilization VI, Stardew Valley, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Baldur’s Gate 3. Performance may vary depending on the game and optimization for Apple Silicon.
Do M1 Macs support Steam and Epic Games Store for gaming?
Yes, both Steam and Epic Games Store work on M1 Macs. However, not all games in their libraries are optimized for macOS. It’s recommended to check game compatibility before purchasing.
Will games run better on M1 Pro, M1 Max, or M2 chips compared to the base M1?
Yes, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M2 chips offer better graphics performance, higher RAM options, and improved processing power, leading to better gaming performance and higher frame rates compared to the standard M1 chip.
Where can I find an updated list of games compatible with M1 Macs?
You can check community forums, gaming websites, and the Google Sheet compiled by Thomas Schranz, which is frequently updated with user-tested games and compatibility details.
Conclusion
With the introduction of the Apple M1 chip, gaming on Macs has seen significant improvements, even without a dedicated GPU. While macOS has traditionally lagged behind Windows in gaming support, the transition to Apple Silicon has unlocked new possibilities, allowing many popular games to run efficiently on M1-powered devices.
The M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M2 chips offer varying levels of performance, with higher-end models providing better graphics and smoother gameplay. Thanks to tools like Rosetta 2, Parallels, Steam, and Cloud Gaming services, Mac users now have access to an expanding library of playable games.
