--- title: Mac made a big change for gamers - The Hustle description: With Apple’s latest operating system, Mac gamers may be able to play even the big, new games. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1504600100-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-gamingonapple_20230619221300.webp --- # Mac made a big change for gamers ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: June 20, 2023 Updated: October 11, 2023 Whoopi Goldberg was ready to level up in “Diablo IV,” only to learn that, unlike previous “Diablo” releases, it [wasn’t playable](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/whoopi-goldberg-calls-blizzard-not-030644937.html) on a Mac. ![gaming on a Mac](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1504600100-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-gamingonapple_20230619221300.webp?width=595&height=400&name=1504600100-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-gamingonapple_20230619221300.webp) “Diablo” maker Blizzard Entertainment merged with Activision in 2008. Now, Microsoft is trying to acquire Activision Blizzard — so perhaps it makes sense that it’d cut off a rival operating system. But Mac users know that *numerous* video games are simply incompatible. #### **The problem…** … is [market share](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-glaring-problem-mac-gaming/). Though modern Macs [can handle](https://medium.com/the-techlife/can-aaa-games-actually-run-on-the-new-macbook-pros-5dd043af3781) games, Macs weren’t designed for gaming. So, studios didn’t often develop for them, and avid computer gamers chose Windows thanks to its wider library of compatible titles. - In January 2023, Statista found that [~96%](https://www.statista.com/statistics/265033/proportion-of-operating-systems-used-on-the-online-gaming-platform-steam/) of Steam players gaming on desktops and laptops use Windows. So, studios [aren’t incentivized](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-glaring-problem-mac-gaming/) to spend time and money developing for macOS. The inverse is true for mobile games, where iOS [reigns supreme](https://www.makeuseof.com/android-vs-apple-which-is-best-for-gaming/?newsletter_popup=1). #### **There have been some workarounds…** … such as cloud gaming services like [Amazon Luna](https://thehustle.co/03042022-amazon-luna/), which require fast internet, and **compatibility layers** — software interfaces that allow programs designed for one environment to run on another, such as a Windows game on macOS or Linux. Wine is one such compatibility layer for gaming, but it’s [hit or miss](https://www.lifewire.com/play-windows-games-on-a-mac-5215617). #### **Until now?** At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, when not talking about Apple Vision Pro, Apple announced a new operating system — macOS Sonoma. It comes with the new Game Porting Toolkit: a patch to Wine that supports [DirectX 12](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/directx-12-vs-directx-11/#:~:text=Share,include%20an%20option%20to%20switch.), the graphics API Windows 11 uses, [per](https://www.inverse.com/tech/mac-directx-12-game-porting-toolkit-pc-games) *Inverse*. The TL;DR is that this has allowed some users (you need an Apple developer account to access it now) to play massive newer games, like — yes, Whoopi — [“Diablo IV,”](https://hothardware.com/news/apple-game-porting-toolkit-diablo-iv-macos-sonoma) with relative, though not perfect, smoothness. #### **Ideally…** … studios could use the toolkit to make macOS versions of existing games. But that could mean selling them via Apple’s store, where it takes a big ol’ commission — [Epic Games vs. Apple](https://thehustle.co/09132021-apple-epic-ruling/), anyone? Topics: [Apple](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/apple) [Gaming](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/gaming) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Apple vs. apples](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1513285514-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-apple_20230620222824.webp) ### Apple vs. apples - ![Why Apple is betting big on Vision Pro: Because it can](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/GIFs/377284949-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Apple_Vision_Pro_20230606003404.webp) ### Why Apple is betting big on Vision Pro: Because it can - ![Netflix pushes deeper into the $170B gaming industry](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2018044403-19-News-Brief_2023-03-21T004019.068Z.webp) ### Netflix pushes deeper into the $170B gaming industry - ![Is India Apple’s next frontier?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/33849681-HS-News-Brief_2023-01-24T003327.742Z.webp) ### Is India Apple’s next frontier? - ![Apple’s big changes, courtesy of the EU](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/281541661-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-15T001040.995Z.webp) ### Apple’s big changes, courtesy of the EU - ![Why Apple store workers are unionizing](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1809834651-HS-News-Brief_2022-11-16T011948.164Z-scaled.webp) ### Why Apple store workers are unionizing - ![What AirPods say about the future of Apple](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1252005692-HS-News-Brief_2022-09-28T220803.806Z.webp) ### What AirPods say about the future of Apple - ![Digits: Jordan, Ferrari, and Yellen](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1558970479-HS-News-Brief_2022-09-18T225913.540Z.webp) ### Digits: Jordan, Ferrari, and Yellen - ![Digits: Jordan, Ferrari, and Yellen](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1558970479-HS-News-Brief_2022-09-18T225913.540Z.webp) ### Digits: Jordan, Ferrari, and Yellen - ![Are Apple and Meta rivals now?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2089517818-HS-News-Brief_2022-09-07T225917.930Z.webp) ### Are Apple and Meta rivals now? 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