In 3 years, 50% of all computers capable of playing AAA games will be Macs

[lawson]

Do you have a source on that, because I haven't heard anyone talking about that. Not Andrew Tsai, not MrMacRight, not even Tyler McVicker and Tyler is the biggest Valve fanboy of them all reporting on any tiniest bit of Half Life news.

I’m not sure if I should post the link to the GitHub - seems to be grey area because it’s based on leaked code.

Here’s the Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/r/macgaming/comments/11qrqil
From there I followed one of the comments to the Mac Source Ports discord and there are full instructions in the devtalk channel there.

Due to having to run lots of terminal commands to build the engine, and a terminal command to even launch it, it’s probably not going to feature easily on one of those YouTube channels.

 

[Homy]

I’m not sure if I should post the link to the GitHub - seems to be grey area because it’s based on leaked code.

Here’s the Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/r/macgaming/comments/11qrqil
From there I followed one of the comments to the Mac Source Ports discord and there are full instructions in the devtalk channel there.

Due to having to run lots of terminal commands to build the engine, and a terminal command to even launch it, it’s probably not going to feature easily on one of those YouTube channels.

The news is only 4 days old so no wonder Youtubers haven't picked it up.

 

[GrumpyCoder]

I’m not sure if I should post the link to the GitHub - seems to be grey area because it’s based on leaked code.

I'm a little surprised Valve isn't putting an end to this, at least for public github repositories. But then again, these are really old games and from a sales point of view not really worth much. There are plenty of repos available, which can be found with a simple google search. These are very old version from a leak dating back years. It's just someone modified it for AS now.

But be careful about what you actually play. This is not the previous macOS version of HL2, it's the Android version of HL2 (and Portal) you're playing. So someone used the engine, modified it for AS and built an Android emulator for HL2 and Portal. That being said, any Valve game using this engine and available for Android should run.

 

[lawson]

I'm a little surprised Valve isn't putting an end to this, at least for public github repositories. But then again, these are really old games and from a sales point of view not really worth much. There are plenty of repos available, which can be found with a simple google search. These are very old version from a leak dating back years. It's just someone modified it for AS now.

But be careful about what you actually play. This is not the previous macOS version of HL2, it's the Android version of HL2 (and Portal) you're playing. So someone used the engine, modified it for AS and built an Android emulator for HL2 and Portal. That being said, any Valve game using this engine and available for Android should run.

I needed the game files from my purchased Mac version of HL2 though, so I don't think they'd be losing sales. I only bought Portal today because I can actually play it now.

All the menus/settings are the same as they used to be when I played HL2 years ago on Mac so I'm not sure it's an emulated Android game (seems there was only a Nvidia Shield version, not a full android release). I could be totally wrong though.

 

[GrumpyCoder]

All the menus/settings are the same as they used to be when I played HL2 years ago on Mac so I'm not sure it's an emulated Android game (seems there was only a Nvidia Shield version, not a full android release). I could be totally wrong though.

Check the Reddit thread you linked to, people on there also say it's the Android version, I stumbled across another thread earlier that says the same. When you follow the link in the Reddit thread to the repository and look at the commit history and what's been changed, you'll find that most things are old. The newer stuff within the last few months or days point to the changes required to make it run on AS. Among those changes is a fix that makes the ARM64 version of the engine not only compile for Android, but any ARM platform. That change was done 5 days ago. So timeline is spot on with it. It's been ages since I've last played HL2 and I'd have to fire it up again and make a comparison. HL2 can be played on any Android device with minor fiddling around and Nvidia Shield is actually Android.

I've only had a quick look at it, but will play around with it in about two weeks or so as I'm at a conference and then at Nvidia until the end of next week.

What would be interesting is to see a game run that isn't available on Android. But in any case, it's a niche of niche solution that won't get us anywhere beyond a proof of concept. Interesting playground though.

 

[shandrive]

Blizzard & Square Enix don't give a s***, no Diablo4, FF7RE, Octopath Traveler2 on Mac.
Even Capcom didn't release the latest Resident Evil4 on Mac anymore.
R.I.P Mac gaming

I've said this many times: The only Apple product worth buying is the iPhone, the bigger the machine, the worse.

 

[diamond.g]

...

Do you think we will see ports of the Blizzard & Square Enix games mentioned? I would expect at some point to see RE4 Remake on the Mac (prolly in 2024), since they ported RE8.

 

[Irishman]

Do you think we will see ports of the Blizzard & Square Enix games mentioned? I would expect at some point to see RE4 Remake on the Mac (prolly in 2024), since they ported RE8.

Just my 2 cents, but, I think that once that RE8 was ported, every other game using that same engine should be trivial to port to Mac.

Right?

 

[diamond.g]

Just my 2 cents, but, I think that once that RE8 was ported, every other game using that same engine should be trivial to port to Mac.

Right?

On face value, sure. Which is why I separated the AB & SE games from Capcom games. Though you would think they would just go ahead and announce it coming to macOS if it in fact was coming. That they haven't (unless Apple is gonna use the announcement for WWDC) is odd.

 

[GrumpyCoder]

Just my 2 cents, but, I think that once that RE8 was ported, every other game using that same engine should be trivial to port to Mac.

Right?

Yes. The whole deal was about updating the engine to take advantage of Metal 3 and run it "optimized" on macOS and then releasing the game App Store exclusive (for macOS). From thereon out it's a flip of a switch to run other games as long as they don't modify the engine as that would require to adapt features for specific platforms. That's not the case for RE4.

That they haven't (unless Apple is gonna use the announcement for WWDC) is odd.

As I said, it was a deal Apple made with Capcom. They often do this, pay other teams for a port, show it off for good press and then move on to the next thing. Sure, they could still show this at WWDC, but that would be extremely stupid from a marketing point of view. Those who own multiple platforms and want the game likely already bought it... so why miss out on sales? If that's the case, then Capcom gets more money from Apple than they would have made in sales and it would be a pure show-off project and not a long term option.

 

[dmccloud]

On face value, sure. Which is why I separated the AB & SE games from Capcom games. Though you would think they would just go ahead and announce it coming to macOS if it in fact was coming. That they haven't (unless Apple is gonna use the announcement for WWDC) is odd.

Capcom is glacially slow when it comes to porting titles to other systems. They also may be trying to protect the initial investment in porting to PC by delaying any acknowledgement of a Mac version in the pipeline.

 

[Pressure]

March 2023 Steam Survey puts Apple Silicon at ~55% market share on macOS.

M1	31,0%
M1 Pro	9,7%
M1 Max	4,0%
M2	8,7%
M2 Pro	1,1%
M2 Max	0,5%

*Numbers rounded up or down to nearest decimal

 

[Nugat Trailers]

...

Mm. Well, the OP was over 2 years ago, where despite being older, the 1050 Ti still did have a noticeable presence on Steam. I'd hypothetically assume not BECAUSE OF E-SPORTS as you say, but probably because of the 1060 and 1050 Ti being included in most gaming PCs sold in stores for the past few years.

What do you consider an acceptable standard for an AAA game to run at? And what do you consider to BE an AAA game?

 

[Pressure]

Mm. Well, the OP was over 2 years ago, where despite being older, the 1050 Ti still did have a noticeable presence on Steam. I'd hypothetically assume not BECAUSE OF E-SPORTS as you say, but probably because of the 1060 and 1050 Ti being included in most gaming PCs sold in stores for the past few years.

And please, if we're so delusional, enlighten us. What do you consider an acceptable standard for an AAA game to run at? And what do you consider to BE an AAA game?

SteamDeck runs at 1280 x 800px and the Nintendo Switch at 1280 x 720px - both utilising dynamic resolution to maintain performance. They both run AAA games 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[diamond.g]

March 2023 Steam Survey puts Apple Silicon at ~55% market share on macOS.

View attachment 2185223

M1	31,0%
M1 Pro	9,7%
M1 Max	4,0%
M2	8,7%
M2 Pro	1,1%
M2 Max	0,5%

*Numbers rounded up or down to nearest decimal

Wonder how long till M2 overtakes M1.

 

[diamond.g]

What do you consider an acceptable standard for an AAA game to run at? And what do you consider to BE an AAA game?

This feels like a loaded question...

 

[nasmdhgf]

Because before developing IOS (or Mac version), it is necessary to purchase a MacOS computer and learn additional Metal, which is a poor chain.
I don't have the habit of developing games using MacOS, I use Win10
So many authors simply give up the production of these two platforms because the cost is too expensive. AAA companies don't care because they have a lot of money, mainly because there are too few AAA game players on MacOS and the commercial value has not formed. Otherwise, no one will block the login of AAA games on Mac.

 

[LeeW]

What do you consider an acceptable standard for an AAA game to run at? And what do you consider to BE an AAA game?

I'll give that a go.

What is an AAA Game?

- Big Budget, high production value.
- Leading graphics/audio for the time.
- Complex/advanced mechanics for the time.
- Widest audience appeal.

What is an acceptable standard for an AAA game to run at?

You can't set a general standard for this because it's absolutely down to the individual. But you could set a minimum.

The one element I would say must be universal is that whatever the hardware the game must be playable without interference. So no lag, stutter, or anything that would hamper gameplay.

I may be quite happy with a game that say, on a scale of 1-10 which relates to the overall quality of experience that a 5 is fine. Which widens the acceptable standard of hardware. You may not accept anything less than 8 which significantly narrows the acceptable standard of hardware. Neither is wrong.

 

[dmccloud]

I may be quite happy with a game that say, on a scale of 1-10 which relates to the overall quality of experience that a 5 is fine. Which widens the acceptable standard of hardware. You may not accept anything less than 8 which significantly narrows the acceptable standard of hardware. Neither is wrong.

I would quantify that as minimum vs. recommended specs for software. The minimum specs will get you to a 5, but the recommended will get you into that 8-10 range.

 

[Pressure]

I'll give that a go.

What is an AAA Game?

- Big Budget, high production value.
- Leading graphics/audio for the time.
- Complex/advanced mechanics for the time.
- Widest audience appeal.

What is an acceptable standard for an AAA game to run at?

You can't set a general standard for this because it's absolutely down to the individual. But you could set a minimum.

The one element I would say must be universal is that whatever the hardware the game must be playable without interference. So no lag, stutter, or anything that would hamper gameplay.

I may be quite happy with a game that say, on a scale of 1-10 which relates to the overall quality of experience that a 5 is fine. Which widens the acceptable standard of hardware. You may not accept anything less than 8 which significantly narrows the acceptable standard of hardware. Neither is wrong.

25 of the TOP50 most sold games of all times are made by Nintendo. Minecraft is the most sold game of all times, then GTA5 and Tetris. I don't think any of them tick off all your requirements, let alone more than one.

 

[diamond.g]

SteamDeck runs at 1280 x 800px and the Nintendo Switch at 1280 x 720px - both utilising dynamic resolution to maintain performance. They both run AAA games 🤷🏼‍♂️

That runs into a prior conversation that was had, you can run Cyberpunk 2077 on Intel UHD systems. Key word there is run, is it a good experience? Not really, but it is do it in a pinch.

And on a small screen, lower resolution isn't as bad.

 

[LeeW]

25 of the TOP50 most sold games of all times are made by Nintendo. Minecraft is the most sold game of all times, then GTA5 and Tetris. I don't think any of them tick off all your requirements, let alone more than one.

Interesting that you think Minecraft and Tetris tick those requirements. But also that most sold games are assumed to be relevant. Anyway not that I care one way or another beyond my initial post, not a gamer to be fair

 

[Pressure]

That runs into a prior conversation that was had, you can run Cyberpunk 2077 on Intel UHD systems. Key word there is run, is it a good experience? Not really, but it is do it in a pinch.

And on a small screen, lower resolution isn't as bad.

Just take a look at the TOP 10 most owned GPUs on the Steam Hardware Survey.

The large majority isn't going to be running modern graphic intensive games at high resolutions on those GPUs.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060	10.44%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060	7.89%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060	7.69%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070	5.31%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	4.95%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650	3.96%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	3.09%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop	3.03%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080	2.57%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660	2.50%

 

[diamond.g]

Just take a look at the TOP 10 most owned GPUs on the Steam Hardware Survey.

The large majority isn't going to be running modern graphic intensive games at high resolutions on those GPUs.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060	10.44%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060	7.89%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060	7.69%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070	5.31%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	4.95%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650	3.96%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	3.09%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop	3.03%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080	2.57%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660	2.50%

That does depend on your definition of high resolution, and if you are a firm rider of the DLSS train.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Just take a look at the TOP 10 most owned GPUs on the Steam Hardware Survey.

The large majority isn't going to be running modern graphic intensive games at high resolutions on those GPUs.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060	10.44%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060	7.89%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060	7.69%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070	5.31%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	4.95%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650	3.96%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	3.09%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop	3.03%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080	2.57%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660	2.50%

I mean...I can run most games at 1440p60+ with my 3060 just fine. Returnal at high settings with raytracing on plays so good with my setup.

Only 15% can't that's not bad.