Apple’s new Proton-Like software tools is bringing Windows games to Mac

Apple’s new “Game Porting Toolkit” is set to make Mac Gaming a viable option

Let’s face it, people don’t really game on Mac. Yes, there are games that are available to play on Apple’s systems, but Macs lack the levels of software support that Windows PCs enjoy, and Macs typically feature underpowered graphics chips when compared to their PC counterparts. That said, Apple has a plan to bring mode games to their Mac ecosystem, and their new M-series processors are now shipping with increasingly powerful integrated graphics solutions. 

With their new “Game Porting Toolkit”, Apple are offering developers and modders a solution that is similar to Valve’s Proton translation layer. Valve created Proton to allow Windows PC games to run on Linux, a solution that has been vital to the success of their Linux-based Steam Deck handheld. Now Apple has taken note of Valve’s success, and are hoping to emulate it to make their Mac ecosystem a viable gaming platform. 

So far, Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit has been used by developers to get some DirectX 12 games running on Macs, with @isaacmarovitz on Twitter using it to run Cyberpunk 2077 at Ultra settings on his M1-based Apple MacBook Pro. Currently, Apple’s toolset limits game resolutions to 1440×900, and even at that resolution Cyberpunk 2077 ran at sub-15 FPS framerates. Even so, this is an impressive proof of concept. 

With more powerful Apple silicon and continued software development, Apple’s “Game Porting Toolkit” could bring many popular DirectX 12 PC games to Apple’s Mac ecosystem. @isaacmarovitz has also reported that Elden Ring and Spider-Man also run on PC using this toolkit, and other gamers have already used it to get Diablo IV running on Mac.

While Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit has already delivered impressive results, it remains to be seen if Apple’s solution is able to bring Windows PC games to Macs with the same levels of stability as Valve’s Proton translation layer. While gamers have shown a lot of titles running using Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit, it remains to be seen if the tool is stable enough to play these games to completion without any major issues. That being said, Apple needs more powerful graphics hardware if they want to make their Mac ecosystem truly viable as a gaming platform.

You can join the discussion on Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit for Macs on the OC3D Forums.