Apple’s upcoming macOS Tahoe update is set to bring major improvements for gaming on Mac devices, thanks to upgrades in its Game Porting Toolkit (GPTK), new graphics features in Metal 4, and support for DLSS-style upscaling.
The changes will make it easier for Mac users to play Windows games, with better performance and compatibility than before. For the first time, many previously unsupported or unplayable titles may now run smoothly on Apple Silicon devices.
Andrew Tsai, founder of PCGamingWiki, tested the latest versions of CrossOver and GPTK on a preview build of macOS Tahoe. His benchmarks show significant progress. In one test, Cyberpunk 2077 ran at around 80 frames per second on a MacBook Pro with the M3 Max chip — at 1080p resolution with upscaling and frame generation enabled.
Other demanding games like Star Wars Outlaws, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Red Dead Redemption II also ran at playable frame rates. Even games requiring ray tracing, such as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, showed good results using MetalFX — Apple’s version of Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling).
The secret to these improvements lies in Metal 4, Apple’s new graphics API. Metal 4 enables advanced features like machine learning-based upscaling, frame generation, and ray reconstruction — similar to what high-end gaming PCs offer with Nvidia RTX technology.
To use this setup, users need a paid CrossOver license (starting at $74/year) and must be registered as Apple developers to access macOS Tahoe ahead of its public release in September. Tsai noted that restarting a game after enabling DLSS is important to properly activate MetalFX.
Apple’s improved support for gaming comes at a time when more developers are starting to release macOS versions of major titles. For example, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows launched on macOS the same day as its Windows version, and Cyberpunk 2077 is being ported with full path tracing support for Apple Silicon.
While Mac gaming still lags behind traditional gaming PCs, macOS Tahoe may mark a turning point — especially for users of M-series Macs looking to explore AAA gaming without switching platforms.
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