You've just purchased and installed a new game for your Apple Mac, but something feels off. Your frame-rate is wildly inconsistent. Mouse input is very erratic. The introductory sequence hangs for a second or two every time someone talks. When you move the camera, there’s some sort of horrifying stuttering.
There are a number of reasons why your Mac might be struggling to run your new game. This guide will help you determine what the issue is, and ways to potentially resolve it.
Tools You'll Need:
A paperclip
iPhone charging cable
Access to a computer with iTunes installed
Any other non-consumable tools needed
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Supplies You'll Need:
Zip ties
Any other consumable supplies
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Before You Begin:
You must have access to a computer with iTunes installed.
You must have that thing for the other thing so you can do the thing.
Each individual prereq should have its own box like this. Not all will contain multiple links.
Comment out prerequisites section if no prereqs are necessary
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2. Does My Mac Meet the Game's Requirements?
All games have posted system requirements. Ensuring that your machine can handle the demands of a game before purchasing is generally best.
System requirements list what type of hardware and software you need to run a game. Minimum requirements are just that, the bare minimum required to run a game. If you meet the minimum requirements the game will run, but it may run poorly.
Find the System Requirements for My Game
If you've purchased a physical copy of a game, the requirements are generally listed on the packaging. If you've purchased a game digitally, system requirements can be found on the marketplace they were purchased from, or directly from the game developer's website. Here is an example of Steam displaying the Mac system requirements for Tomb Raider:
Find the System Specs for My Mac
On your Mac, select the Apple Menu and then About This Mac.
The About This Mac window will open, showing you the information.
If My Mac Doesn't Meet the Game Requirements
Physical upgrade options for Macs can be very limited. Depending on the model and manufacture date of your Mac, upgradeable hardware such as RAM and internal hard drive can actually be soldered to the logic board, making them impossible to remove or add to at all. Other internal Mac hardware is not made to be upgradeable whatsoever.
We recommend having a professional assess your Apple device to determine if you can upgrade it at all.
3. Reduce Game Settings for Better Performance
Optimize a Game's Graphics Settings for My MacReducing the graphical settings of the game you're attempting to play reduces the demand it places on your computer's hardware, and can make a game playable, albeit a bit uglier from a graphical standpoint. Each game's graphical setting options will vary, and may still not make the game playable on your machine.
Load the game you are attempting to play and navigate to the game's options or settings menu.
Look for Video or Graphics settings. Depending on the game you are playing, the labeling of this menu will vary.
Some games offer a simple menu that allows the user to set graphical options using a range. Settings may range from low all the way to ultra. Try reducing these settings below where they are currently set.
Test your game. The reduction in settings may make the game playable. Reducing graphical settings may make the game look visually less appealing, but can be the difference between a game being playable or unplayable.
Graphics Settings and What They Mean
Resolution: The number of pixels that make up your game screen. The higher the numbers, the more power your game uses. Lowering this setting will greatly increase performance.
Anti-Aliasing: A setting that smooths jagged edges, making the game look better. Reducing this will increase performance while making your game look noticeably dated. Below shows anti-aliasing off on the left, and anti-aliasing set to four on the right. The jagged edges are more noticeable on the left.
Texture Quality: Textures are the pictures put over the models in a game. The higher the quality, the better the texture. The lower the quality, the faster the game will run. The image on the left has texture quality set to low.
Shadow Quality: Like texture, shadow quality determines how crisp and accurate the shadows in a game are, but they're much easier to set lower as you don't notice them as much. Lowering shadow quality may take out the shadow entirely or just reduce it to a dark circle.
View Distance: Like it says, view distance is how far you can see in the game. It determines how far away things will be rendered. The shorter the view distance, the better the performance. The image on the left has the lower view distance.
Fullscreen VS Windowed Mode: Full Screening your game may improve performance. This is because a full screened game allows the game to control the entire screen. A windowed mode game will have other simultaneous programs and settings running.
4. Keep My Mac and Video Drivers Updated
There are two areas to check for updates for your Mac, the System Software and the Apps installed from the App Store. When you update your Mac System, it will also update your video drivers.
Update System Software
Open the Apple menu, and select System Preferences.
Select Software Update.
Any updates to your System Software will be offered here.
Update App Store Apps
Open the Apple menu, and select App Store.
Select Updates on the left. Any updates available will be offered here.
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