I recently got myself a Razer Core X and an AMD Radeon 5700 XT. Yes, I know the 6000 series is coming, let’s move past that for now. Eventually, I’ll do a write-up of what it took to set up on the Mac (literally just plugged it in) and Windows (a hellish night staying up until 5:30am).
It’s not impossible, but not for the non-technical. It involves installing an older version of Windows, custom drivers that work with external graphics cards, and making quite a few registry changes. Also, a lot of trial and error, and potentially multiple restarts or complete wipes and resets, which you may have to do in the future if you can’t freeze Windows updates.
Eventually, I got it running. And oh, does it run. I bought Control, a game so advanced it has had framerate dips on non-Pro PS4 models (like mine). However, it plays smoothly on high my MacBook Pro running Windows. All thanks to that eGPU. I’m loving this game, and playing it on my computer (especially with my mouse) was the right way to do it.
This game is a visual masterpiece. Thanks to an eGPU and Boot Camp, I can play it on my Mac.
Control isn’t out for macOS. It likely will never come to macOS. It’s only on Windows, like most games, including many Xbox games. If you want to play PC games, you’re going to need to run Windows. If you want Xbox and Playstation exclusives without buying two consoles, you use Windows (and a PS4).
And Apple’s new Apple Silicon-based Macs will never run Windows. Oh, you’ll be able to emulate Windows, but that doesn’t work with the latest versions of DirectX and takes a pretty serious performance hit. Most modern games won’t run at all, and those that do won’t run well. Gaming on Windows through an Apple Silicon Mac will never happen.
That might not matter to you right now. But some day, you’ll wonder what you’ve been missing.
Just Buy a PC?
Windows: A disorganized mess of a GUI to make up for a lack of foresight on the most important elements of a computer: applications and storage management.
Let’s think about that for a second. I like macOS, I hate Windows. Seriously, I’d prefer a Windows PC over no computer, but that’s kind of like saying I’d prefer to have a hook for a hand than no hand. I mean, at least I’d have an easy Halloween costume every year. Arr!
Everything in Windows is three times more difficult than it should be. Things that literally take half a second to complete on a Mac, like installing an eGPU, take 6 hours on Windows. Want to invert the scroll direction of your mouse? one checkbox in settings. In Windows? Make changes to the registry and restart. I cannot have a machine that constantly requires my attention and upkeep as a primary device that I would have to use for writing and work. I rely on my computer, I need one that’s reliable. Get it? That’s not a Windows machine.
Get a Mac AND a PC!
I do actually want to swap my 2018 MacBook Pro for this, but that’s not happening.
Oh sure, let me just go down to the money store and get enough money to get a Mac and a PC! A decent gaming setup, equivalent to a MacBook Pro but with better graphics, along with that decent MacBook Pro, could easily cost around $7,000. A build I just put together that sacrifices case quality comes at just under $7,000. Do you know a bank that desperately wants to get rid of some money?
I want a computer that has macOS and games. That means running Windows in Boot Camp, period. There’s no other way of doing it.
Yet that’s not something Apple’s future Macs will let me do.
Look at the details in this cropped shot. Zoom in. The paper, the frayed cardboard, the keyboard, even her hair. Who would want to give this up?
So, if I choose to get a Mac in the future, I have to either give up the games or give up the operating system. You can make Windows look and operate a lot like macOS, but it’ll never have the same speed and stability. I would know, a long time ago, I tried it.
I wonder how many people Apple will lose over this. Not many, I’m sure. They’re probably unimportant then, right? The real problem is the fact that developers who came to macOS for iOS development may have to abandon the platform or only use it via a few shared Mac Mini servers at work.
If Apple loses their enthusiast users, they’re going to lose a lot of software engineers. That leads to a dramatic loss in software on the Mac platform, and, inevitably, fewer regular users on the platform.
Apple’s cutting out the pros, and it’s going to kill macOS.
Can We Beg Apple for Intel Macs?
This fat GPU powers my new setup, as well as a few of Apple’s high-end iMacs.
Hey, now you’re catching on. If Apple continued to release Intel Macs, even alongside their Apple silicon Macs, we’d really have our cake and eat it too. However, this isn’t going to work for Apple. They would have to keep two versions of macOS and all of their apps. They’d never do this. That’s too much upkeep.
Instead, they’ll give it up, pushing aside those looking to play games or just have a versatile, “do everything,” “it just works,” machine. Perhaps their processors won’t be able to keep up, much like the old PowerPC processors they once used, and they’ll come back to Intel. Or, preferably, AMD.
Maybe one day a Mac will be a versatile machine again. Right now? Your best bet would be to grab a Mac with as much memory as you can get, a fast processor, a large amount of internal SSD storage, and an eGPU. Then just hope Apple supports Intel Macs for more than two years, the length of time Apple has said their product transition would take. Apple will likely support Intel Macs for at least four more years, but hopefully longer.
I believe Apple’s new A-series Macs will benefit Apple, and only Apple, with lower costs. That may be a short term gain if developers don’t stay on board. For the rest of us, we’ll find machines that are more restricted, more iPad-like. The computer will become an appliance once again, with few pieces of third party software.
You know, exactly like the last time Apple went against the industry and used different processors. The dark times at Apple in the late 80’s, early 90’s.
I Could be Wrong…
There’s one upside here. I could be wrong. Perhaps developers will love making games and applications for Apple silicon Macs. Sure, those games won’t run on the most popular desktop operating system in the world, Windows. Perhaps they’ll be happy with their software reaching fewer people, and seeing lower volumes of sales. Maybe these imaginary future developers will even update their current games, even though they haven’t in the past.
Now that I have a Boot Camp setup, I can finally re-play Portal 2! It’s been too long.
Or, perhaps they’ll just port mobile games over to the Mac. People love their iPhone games, right? Make no mistake, there are some good iPhone games. Besides Good Sudoku, I’ve been farming in Stardew Valley. Transistor and Oxenfree were unforgettable experiences. Alto’s Odyssey is simple yet gorgeous. Plus, one of the most popular games right now, Among Us, is free on iOS.
These pixelated mobile ports represent most of “Mac gaming” now.
But that really doesn’t compare to Control. Or Overwatch. Rocket League or Assassin’s Creed. Outerworlds or Borderlands 3. They’re nowhere near as complex or realistic. They’re certainly fun, but it’s not as intense, fast-paced, or exciting as console or PC gaming can be. It’s not what Mac gaming could be.
Maybe developers will jump to support a niche platform at great cost to their own profits.
But it doesn’t seem likely, does it?
The future of the Mac seems pretty bleak.