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In 3 years, 50% of all computers capable of playing AAA games will be Macs
- Thread starter senttoschool
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It's honestly more a case of TF2's fault than it is the M1 Air's. CSGO doesn't have that issue.
It's a limitation of running on MacOS. CSGO has the issue but to a lesser extent. Those two are very old games that should run well even on a potato. Even dialed down to 720p resolution and graphics settings turned off or lowest it's hitting lows of 5fps.
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Anyone who writes new code benefits from being able to address Mac, iPad and iPhone with Metal API. Whereas Android and Windows remain separated forever. Unreal Engine 5.2 now comes with native support for Apple Silicon on the Mac and potentially iOS as well. Users who already own Intel Macs benefit from old machines still being useful (and thus valuable) for running old code. This makes for a nice clean technological break. Whether you want to run legacy code or benefit from new developments, one can give you a clear recommendation. Not only is there less code to maintain for Apple engineers, Apple silicon can also drop 32-bit hardware support, which makes smaller, faster, more efficient chips. Thanks to dropping backward compatibility, Macs are the thinnest, lightest, coolest, quietest computers with the longest battery life. Lower production and maintenance costs for Apple also mean Macs are becoming more price competitive. It used to be that you didn't pay much more than for a similarly equipped PC. Now you actually pay less for a Mac than for its PC counterpart. And then there are countless little things you can only get on a Mac. Those come from Apple eating its own dog food and demonstrating what only Apple Silicon can do. You can be stuck on x86 forever, if you want. The perfect machine to run 32-bit code was already built years ago. We don't need to burden future computers with this outdated technology.
I have no idea why people complain about the performance of Team Fortress 2 on Mac and the "potato" perfromance of MBA M1 when TF2 doen't even run on Apple Silicon as far as I know. It's a 32-bit app with horrible performance even in Parallels and Crossover, yet people spread this kind of FUD for some reason.
We know that running games under emulation isn't ideal, thank you.
You could build it natively for AS without emulation requirements. Wouldn't be exactly legal though.
The limitation that prevents macOS from running 32-bit apps? We know it exists, thank you.
These games have native Linux versions, while TF2 must use Wine or a virtual machine to run on modern macOS.
CS:GO runs fine on Apple Silicon, but still requires several translation layers.
Dear god, if MacRumors is a graveyard of misinformation, you must be the funeral home.
By your logic, RE8 should run worse on Mac than TF2, since it's more demanding.
But your logic fails to consider engine differences, APIs, maintenance.
I'll accept that TF2 and CSGO do not run nearly as well on Mac as they could on Windows or Linux.
But you have to accept that part of that is because of Valve themselves. Apple didn't make TF2.
Mac gaming is worse than I thought so calling it funeral home isn't far off. Suffering from ultra low frame rate on MacOS decided to give Linux a try since it's going places with Steam Deck, Proton, Lutris, etc.
MacOS on M1 MBA (~5fps)
Linux on $400 x64 laptop at same resolution and graphics settings (~88fps)
After dual booting Linux on Apple Silicon was hit with reality that nothing mainstream like Steam and games run on AARCH64. At least it's getting 1000+ fps with glxgears demo.
MacOS on M1 MBA (~5fps)
Linux on $400 x64 laptop at same resolution and graphics settings (~88fps)
After dual booting Linux on Apple Silicon was hit with reality that nothing mainstream like Steam and games run on AARCH64. At least it's getting 1000+ fps with glxgears demo.
Fascinating. So a badly optimised game that gets 5 fps represents all games on a platform?
So by that logic, a car going at 5 kph on a highway means that all cars can only do 5 kph?
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing has hilariously broken AI. That means all games have hilariously broken AI.
Just wait until you discover that people have died in water, you'll never want to drink again.
So by that logic, a car going at 5 kph on a highway means that all cars can only do 5 kph?
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing has hilariously broken AI. That means all games have hilariously broken AI.
Just wait until you discover that people have died in water, you'll never want to drink again.
Don't waste your time trying to find the worse case scenario. You're not convincing anyone.
https://applesilicongames.com/games/Gz598VV3EsPEGdTMcXgqTT/team-fortress-2
Team Fortress 2 on Apple Silicon Games
Game Compatibility and Game Performance
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It's not a badly optimized game, it's a wintel game running on a different OS and a different ISA.
And it doesn't even run poorly if you know your stuff. But I suppose this guy has spend time finding the worse conditions.
It shouldn't. But it seems to work fine the other way around. 🤷♂️ When a Windows game with bugs comes around it's "PC gaming sucks, there are only bugs. It's a great thing we don't get games on the Mac, so we don't have these! We rather have no games at all than any of that crap". And don't forget the hardware... "But on a PC it requires a 40x0 card to run it properly, that doesn't count! No one is buying these super expensive cards, it's just a tiny, tiny fraction of the market!!!11!!". But when a game runs poorly on a Mac all we hear is "just buy a maxed out Ultra, then it works!" (which is about $6k). And then we have Fort Solis coming to the Mac and all of a sudden this single title means "Mac gaming is thriving, absolute proof that Mac gaming isn't dead. Developers love the Mac and this is showing it!". So which one is it? Judging based on single or few examples or the full market? Or do we stick to "arguments are only valid when it benefits the Mac and no criticism allowed"?
Sometimes people sure create more problems than solving. When I have a game that runs with 5 fps on platform A, but with 60+ fps on platform B, then I just buy platform B and play there if I want to play the game.
I think some here will really wet their pants after WWDC if Apple manages in time to show the results of their latest shopping spree.
When the game in question is not even a macOS game, I think we can find excuses.
You're assuming this specific example and I agree. But the argument has been made for other games and applications (there's a thread about Macs in scientific workflow somewhere).
A while ago, someone posted that Portal can now be played on the Mac. That was a great thing and in favour for Mac gaming. Legal issues aside, the same argument could be made for TF and other games as well. But when that doesn't work as intended it becomes a bad thing and doesn't count. That's just not very logical. In the same way, upscaling. With MetalFX it's a great thing, but when DLSS, FSR or anything else is used in the PC world, we're back to the bad point "oh, but it uses upscaling, it's not native resolution...". The same metrics should be used. Fort Solis is now the "saviour" of Mac gaming just like RE Village was a year ago, what happens when it turns out to be a dud, gameplay wise or riddled with bugs. That will turn into "oh that's just a single game, it doesn't matter at all". The good thing about it is, it will be on Steam day and date for PC and Mac. I think PS as well with Xbox coming later for whatever reason.
Free game on Steam...
https://store.steampowered.com/app/43160/Metro_Last_Light_Complete_Edition/
Too bad it doesn't install on Apple Silicone MacOS. Works fine on Windows and Linux x64 though.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/43160/Metro_Last_Light_Complete_Edition/
Too bad it doesn't install on Apple Silicone MacOS. Works fine on Windows and Linux x64 though.
macOS Catalina removed 32-bit support (in preparation for Apple Silicon) in 2019.
This is exactly why I'm done with gaming on Mac. In the end you can run Diablo III and some 64-bit steam games but would I waste disk space just to have Mojave and never use it?
Also I highly doubt that 50% of all Gamers will switch to Mac.
Newer Macs are still way more expensive than a capable Intel/AMD machine, you can just run any game - no emulation required.
Any cheap Ryzen with a Vega APU can run AAA titles to some extent.
Mobile gaming is already larger than console and PC gaming combined.
I have no interest in building any PC ever again.😒
I'd rather buy a PS5.
$759
So that's the price without RAM, SSD, software and taxes?
And I thought the Mac mini was too expensive. 😂
At least you get a nice rectangular external power supply.
Well once you upgrade the mini this is cheap
32GB 1TB in the Mini is 1899$ vs 949$ here and it comes with activated win 11 pro.
Apple base specs suck and their upgrade prices are nuts, who want 8gb and 256gb anyway.
If it is purely for gaming I guess Ps5 and Xbox are the best options anyway.