Will the M1x MacBook pros be gaming worthy?

[smythey]

If the rumours are correct about the M1X having 16 or 32 graphics cores, then that will translate to ~5.2 and ~10.4Tflops, which is a decent amount of grunt. For comparison, the RTX 3060 is ~12.8Tflops (and has a TDP of 170 watts!).

Of course this comes with big caveats already mentioned like Mac game availability, and the fact that Tflops is becoming a less useful GPU performance measure. But still, the fact that Macbook Pro's might have this level of GPU performance without using a discrete GPU is very impressive.

 

[tlab]

Luckily, the best game ever made, Myth II: Soulblighter, now runs natively on Apple Silicon macs when you install the v1.8.4 updater (which is actually a four-way universal binary that runs on macs with PowerPC, x86, x64 and Apple Silicon chips).

(There’s also a Mac Classic version if you haven’t moved on from OS9 yet. I think it still might run in system 7.5—at least, v1.0 did.)

Link here: http://projectmagma.net/downloads/myth2_updates/

(In case it needs to be said, this means Myth is the only Bungie game that can run natively on current macintoshes. Halo never got a 64 bit upgrade and Aleph One (the marathon open source project) doesn’t seem to have an Apple Silicon version yet. Oni’s ‘anniversary edition’ hasn’t been updated since 2017. This is clearly because, as I said, myth is the best game ever made.)

 

[icanhazmac]

My thought is Apple needs to invest in developing a top tier game that will run native, not the Apple arcade crap, but something amazing and only for Mac. Show the world, and other devs, that the hardware is capable if it is written for. Then they might need to subsidize some Mac client versions of some big name games, again to show the world what can be.

IMHO only this will begin to move the needle towards true Mac gaming. As others have pointed out, at this time the numbers aren't there for companies like Blizzard to develop native Mac games.

Far better use of Apple $$ than some of the TV+ stuff.

 

[sunny5]

Apple really need to make Mac exclusive games like what Xbox, Nintendo, and Playstation are doing and then invest tons of money for gaming. But I highly doubt it since Apple gains way more profits from mobile gaming with less investment from iOS/iPadOS...

 

[pmiles]

My thought is Apple needs to invest in developing a top tier game that will run native, not the Apple arcade crap, but something amazing and only for Mac. Show the world, and other devs, that the hardware is capable if it is written for. Then they might need to subsidize some Mac client versions of some big name games, again to show the world what can be.

IMHO only this will begin to move the needle towards true Mac gaming. As others have pointed out, at this time the numbers aren't there for companies like Blizzard to develop native Mac games.

Far better use of Apple $$ than some of the TV+ stuff.

You want to play PC games... you buy yourself a PC. That altruism will never change no matter how much pixie dust you inhale.

It's not about "if they build it, they will come"... it's about why would they do something that they haven't cared to do for multiple decades in the past? Hate to tell you this, it's NEVER going to be about the hardware. It's like trying to convince a devout Christian there is no God. You aren't convincing them that God does not exist, no matter how much evidence you come up with. Forget about the hardware. It's a red herring. Always has been.

 

[sunny5]

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

How do you even know that Mac will sell 50% out of all gaming computers? Even now, Mac is such a minor for gaming market. You are totally ignoring the software and platform aspect. So far, only less than 1~3 games ported for M1. Also, Apple is not even trying to expand the gaming market share...

forums.macrumors.com

This is what some people think about the future of Mac gaming. I highly doubt it.

 

[ACD30"]

Currently I am faced with a dilemma, which laptop to buy.
I need a laptop that I can run all my code and game on it for fun.

I sold my gaming console because realized, I could get a laptop like the G15 or Blade 14 5900hx, and if will probably perform better then my ps4 pro.

But Apple is in my blood lol, I am wondering if the new M1x chipped MacBook pros (14in and 16in) will be a good option for gaming.

I know currently Mac’s pretty much suck at playing games, but I still have hope, and was wondering if anyone knows anything about it.

Any given game will run just as well as the system is capable (optimizations aside). A Windows PC isn't automatically better at gaming, just because it's not a Mac. Current M1 Macs are already able to run plenty of intensive games, given their integrated chips outperform dedicated GTX 1050Ti and RX 560 GPUs. What games are you planning on running?

 

[leman]

The upcoming performance-oriented Mac laptops will be excellent gaming machines if the games you are interested in have a Mac version.

Luckily for me, games I play work just fine on a Mac, so I’m looking forward to my new 16“ model.

 

[mabok]

There's an alternative way to play games aside from bootcamp/parallel/vmw
You can subscribe to Nvidia Geforce Now.

I just sign up for their trial period and it's really good smooth and no lag, using a Mac mini m1.
Preferred need a 1gbps isp & wired.

 

[ekwipt]

Apple M1X and a PS5/Xbox

hopefully the news laptops will allow for EGPU (ATI only unfortunately).

 

[theorist9]

There are so many problems with gaming on Apple Silicon Mac:

6. GPU performance?
Well, it's hard to tell cause M1X MacBook Pro is not out yet. However, I really dont expect a high end GPU performance like 3080 cause MacBook Pro always used entry level GPU in order to lower TDP. 16 inch MBP uses 50W GPU while others use up to 200W. I dont think Apple made MBP for gaming but for working. Their GPU is focusing on different stuff so it's difficult to tell.

According to this (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple...ording-to-astonishing-estimates.543612.0.html), a 32-core MacBook Pro could match an RTX 3070.

I scanned through the July 2021 Steam survey, and <3% of Steam users have PC's with 3070+ performance (3070, 3080, and 3090) (https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/)

And assuming Steam users have better-than-typical GPU's, the percent of PC's with 3070+ performance is likely a far lower percentage. So while a MBP isn't going to give you cutting-edge gaming performance, neither are the ovewhelming majority of PC gaming laptops.

In sum, I don't think the hardware will be an issue. Indeed, within a few years the average Mac will have significantly more GPU power than the average PC. Instead the issue is software—will the big gaming houses make new AAA games available for Apple Silicon? I expect a few will test the water, and what follows will depend on what happens with those initial forays.

And who knows—maybe the large iMac will offer a 64-core GPU option, which would (assuming the 3090 is roughly twice as powerful as the 3070) put it in 3090 territory.

 

[sunny5]

According to this (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple...ording-to-astonishing-estimates.543612.0.html), a 32-core MacBook Pro could match an RTX 3070.

I scanned through the July 2021 Steam survey, and <3% of Steam users have PC's with 3070+ performance (3070, 3080, and 3090) (https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/)

And assuming Steam users have better-than-typical GPU's, the percent of PC's with 3070+ performance is likely a far lower percentage. So while a MBP isn't going to give you cutting-edge gaming performance, neither are the ovewhelming majority of PC gaming laptops.

In sum, I don't think the hardware will be an issue. Indeed, within a few years the average Mac will have significantly more GPU power than the average PC. Instead the issue is software—will the big gaming houses make new AAA games available for Apple Silicon? I expect a few will test the water, and what follows will depend on what happens with those initial forays.

It's laptop version of 3070, not desktop version. Even 3060 Ti desktop version consumes the power around 200W. The performance of laptop version of 3070 seems to similar to RTX 3060 TI. If you really expect 3070 performance, then 32 cores may not be enough. Also, many games are not even optimized for macOS and Metal so the performance might be different or lower unless it's optimized.

 

[Lihp8270]

If you want AAA capability and unlimited gaming options, you really have no choice today. A windows based gaming laptop is your only option. If you're a casual gamer who is alright with limited gaming options, you can go with the MBP if you want. Who knows what the future holds though.

Microsoft really do have a monopoly on the gaming market.

Developers should be forced to make Mac versions so that consumer have a choice of OS for gaming.

 

[Lihp8270]

Why does this question always come up? PC is going to be your choice if you want to game. More and more game developers are dropping support for Mac entirely. Blizzard is a perfect example of this, their latest 3 games (released and upcoming). Overwatch, Diablo4, Diablo2 Resurrected don't support Mac. I'm honestly surprised they put the time in to make WoW run on m1 Macs.

They put the effort in on WoW because they’re haemorrhaging players.

I think they’re trying to capture new players by being one of the only native M1 big games.

 

[diamond.g]

According to this (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple...ording-to-astonishing-estimates.543612.0.html), a 32-core MacBook Pro could match an RTX 3070.

I scanned through the July 2021 Steam survey, and <3% of Steam users have PC's with 3070+ performance (3070, 3080, and 3090) (https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/videocard/)

And assuming Steam users have better-than-typical GPU's, the percent of PC's with 3070+ performance is likely a far lower percentage. So while a MBP isn't going to give you cutting-edge gaming performance, neither are the ovewhelming majority of PC gaming laptops.

In sum, I don't think the hardware will be an issue. Indeed, within a few years the average Mac will have significantly more GPU power than the average PC. Instead the issue is software—will the big gaming houses make new AAA games available for Apple Silicon? I expect a few will test the water, and what follows will depend on what happens with those initial forays.

And who knows—maybe the large iMac will offer a 64-core GPU option, which would (assuming the 3090 is roughly twice as powerful as the 3070) put it in 3090 territory.

Interestingly there are more people playing on PC’s with 3070+ GPUs than there are people playing on a Mac.

 

[Lihp8270]

2. The game makers who are "dropping Mac support" have primarily done that because Apple was so reluctant to build machines with decent GPUs that allowed any of their games to run well.

It’s not fair to lay the blame entirely at apple.

many of these game developers who dropped mac support continue to port and release their games on Nintendo Switch which has significantly less power available.

Switch still has Rocket League, Overwatch, Diablo 2: Resurrected, Doom eternal etc.

Developers drop Mac support because the numbers aren’t good enough to justify the time and expense.

 

[Lihp8270]

Apple M1X and a PS5/Xbox

hopefully the news laptops will allow for EGPU (ATI only unfortunately).

Not a chance will any silicone max support an eGPU

 

[iBug2]

this was because they were also porting it to ARM windows and using the M1 macs as a test bed

Aaah, what? No. ARM windows and ARM Mac ports of games are completely different as one uses Metal, the other uses DX. The thing that takes time is to port it to Metal.

 

[FrozenShivers]

Don't do it. If you're budget constrained look at something like XB Series S/Steam Deck (once reviews are out) & a Mac. You'll be disappointed gaming on a Mac unless you have extremely low standards for gaming, in which case more power to you.

 

[l0stl0rd]

If the rumours are correct about the M1X having 16 or 32 graphics cores, then that will translate to ~5.2 and ~10.4Tflops, which is a decent amount of grunt. For comparison, the RTX 3060 is ~12.8Tflops (and has a TDP of 170 watts!).

Of course this comes with big caveats already mentioned like Mac game availability, and the fact that Tflops is becoming a less useful GPU performance measure. But still, the fact that Macbook Pro's might have this level of GPU performance without using a discrete GPU is very impressive.

yes tera flops is not all the apple GPUs have other advantages compared to traditional GPU like less coping of data around which explains for this like this I guess.

In the Aztec Ruins Normal Tier test, the Radeon RX 560 achieves 146.2 FPS, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti achieves 159 FPS, and the ‌M1‌ achieves 203.6 FPS.

In tflops they should be more “equal”.

 

[ikir]

Currently I am faced with a dilemma, which laptop to buy.
I need a laptop that I can run all my code and game on it for fun.

I sold my gaming console because realized, I could get a laptop like the G15 or Blade 14 5900hx, and if will probably perform better then my ps4 pro.

But Apple is in my blood lol, I am wondering if the new M1x chipped MacBook pros (14in and 16in) will be a good option for gaming.

I know currently Mac’s pretty much suck at playing games, but I still have hope, and was wondering if anyone knows anything about it.

It will, while Mac gaming will still take years, Crossover will be faster and faster letting you to play many Windows games.

 

[4743913]

Luckily, the best game ever made, Myth II: Soulblighter

Thats not how you spell Red Alert 2: Yuris Revenge

 

[tlab]

Thats not how you spell Red Alert 2: Yuris Revenge

Get outta town.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Seeing as how I can game on my M1, I would certainly think that the X flavor would be even better.

Note that I'm running native games (thanks Blizz), I haven't tried anything like Parallels yet.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

Thats not how you spell Red Alert 2: Yuris Revenge

That's not how you spell DooM.