Gaming on MacBook Pro 2016 with Touchbar

[helplol]

I want to play games on my MacBook but I don't think it will be able to sufficiently run them, so I was wondering if buying the Samsung T5 external SSD (500gb one) would be a good idea? The plan is to install windows bootcamp onto the T5 and put my games on it so I can plug it in and play whenever I want to. The games aren't too demanding, just things like FIFA or GTA.

How difficult would it be to do something like that? Also will the gameplay experience be relatively good? Will I experience lagging/poor quality? Also is there anything else I would need to consider before I buy the SSD?

 

[Eason85]

GTA5? Will not be a good experience. You will be able to run it on low settings but I don't think it will be enjoyable at all. It sounds like you have the laptop already, right? Why not try a temporary windows bootcamp partition and give it a shot. Or use an external HDD just as a test -- the loading will be affected by that speed for sure, but the actual FPS you'll get will be the same as with an SSD.

 

[cambookpro]

I play games like CSGO in Windows on my 2016 13" off an external SSD. However, I just keep the Steam library on it, as installing Windows on an external drive is a bit of a pain. It works fine, I get a very playable FPS. Can't say how a more modern game would run.

 

[Plutonius]

64 bit Windows 10 home is $140 from Microsoft so you should probably factor that into your calculations.

 

[Eason85]

64 bit Windows 10 home is $140 from Microsoft so you should probably factor that into your calculations.

You don't need to activate it if all you want to do is play some games, though.

 

[Javieremdz]

I bought a few months ago a MacBook 2017 15” and I installed bootcamp to play some games. I run fortnite, cs go with no problems. You will have a much better experience with bootcamp. Before buying it I was in the same position but everything is going great.

 

[helplol]

Thank you guys, I think the general consensus is that I should try bootcamp before deciding whether I should buy the T5? I am a bit worried about storage as my Mac is 256gb, however I will still try it out just to see if it works alright. In terms of performance, do you guys think gameplay would be better on the Mac itself through bootcamp or the T5? I've read multiple reviews online stating that the T5 is great for gameplay however I dont know if they can be trusted, hence why I'm on this forum.

 

[DeanPSN]

There will be no difference in gameplay.
The speed offered by T5 through the TB3 ports is way more than enough for games.