On July 17, CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, launched its 2020 game on macOS. Apple’s platforms haven’t been the best for gaming in recent memory, but its relatively new processors have raised some eyebrows.
The Cupertino company took everything in-house in 2019, booting Intel from its Mac lineup, and in 2020, launched the M-series chip. This is Apple’s not-so-secret weapon, in that since the very beginning, they’ve been punching above their weight. Yes, overtly expensive, but slim format and for the most part, incredibly easy to decipher. M1, M2, M3, and so on. The current M4 lineup of chips is impressive, even when compared to the previous entries, with the often budget-level Mac Mini more than enough for video editing and power-hungry tasks.
While Apple is in its hardware stride, as “boring” as they are, games have come along massively on the operating system. macOS hasn’t been bereft of games, but it has certainly needed a little more of a push behind it. In the last few years, Ubisoft, Capcom, and Kojima Productions have released their flagship titles on macOS. Death Stranding, Assassin’s Creed, and the more recent Resident Evil games all exist, but it’s not often you hear about a AAA title coming to hardware that can obviously run it just fine.
CD Projekt Red on why they brought Cyberpunk 2077 to macOS
Since these major hitters, it’s been kind of quiet on this type of gaming front for Apple machines. I spoke with Oleg Shatulo, the Senior Publishing Producer for CD Projekt Red, and had to ask, Why now?:
“As a company, we’re always looking to bring our games to new players, and of course, we pay attention to advancements in tech too.
“Mac advancements in recent years really caught our attention — the power of the M-series chips, plus Metal optimizations, made clear it’s now a platform for high-end gaming. So it was an exciting opportunity to bring over Cyberpunk 2077.”
Apple’s Metal needs to be harnessed
If you speak or listen to any developer, they’ll tell you that developing for macOS comes with its own pitfalls. However, in 2023, Apple, in its latest olive branch on a pole to the game development consortium, was the Game Porting Toolkit. At the last website I wrote for, I did an extensive guide on how to get it working with almost any game in a Steam library.
It allows various frameworks to run under Apple’s roof, like DirectX 12. Unlike Proton, Valve’s translation layer for getting Windows games running on Linux, the Game Porting Toolkit is not intended for the end user. Think of it more like a launch pad. Developers can decide whether or not to go ahead with the jump down the hole, and once they do, it’ll provide a slide to reach their destination.
Collaboration is key
Shatulo points out that the porting process was an excellent example of game development collaboration. Virtuos, which recently underwent layoffs despite its work on Cyberpunk and the Oblivion remaster, was part of this process:
“Porting a game of this scale and complexity is never simple, but the process was a good example of effective collaboration.
“We worked hand-in-hand with our partners at Virtuos, who brought immense technical expertise to the project, and we received invaluable support from Apple’s own engineering teams.”
Apple needs to be “championing” gaming
While we’ve seen Apple keep gaming at arm’s length, Shatulo believes that the company should be championing gaming. It’s something I wholeheartedly agree with, as the platform’s easy-to-explain hardware cuts out a lot of the fluff from PC gaming in particular. Shatulo concurs that the hardware is ready for the shift; it’s just up to Apple to do the legwork:
“The introduction of Apple silicon marked a fundamental shift. We’re no longer talking about machines that are just capable; we’re talking about a unified hardware and software ecosystem with tremendous power and efficiency. This creates a stable and predictable environment for developers, especially when paired with the Metal API.”
Metal is Apple’s graphics framework and is used across all its hardware. If the porting process from typical software choices to Metal is smoothed over, Shatulo believes more developers could bring their games over:
“I think continuing to evolve the development tools that bridge the gap between existing game engines and the Metal API is crucial. The easier it is for developers to see a clear and efficient path to bring their games over, the more we will see them do so.”
Not just a simple Cyberpunk port
However, CD Projekt Red isn’t one to simply port the game over. As with the Switch 2 version of the game, or if you load it up on Steam Deck, there are a few changes or additional features included. On Steam Deck, there’s a preset dedicated to running on the lower-end hardware. For the Switch 2, mouse support and motion controls are included. The macOS version is no different:
“We didn’t want this to be just a simple port either, so we focused on deep platform integration like developing the “For this Mac” graphics preset.
“This intelligently analyzes players’ specific hardware and applies the optimal settings to deliver the smoothest possible combination of stunning visuals and high performance.
“We also went further to make it feel native to Mac by adding support for AirPods-exclusive Spatial Audio with head tracking, plus intuitive controls for the Magic Mouse and Trackpad.”
Underappreciated and underutilized
The Mac ecosystem can be underappreciated and underutilized for gaming purposes. Shatulo does think that the perception is changing, however:
“For a long time, the perception of the Mac was that it was for professional creative work, not high-end gaming. But the reality today is vastly different.
“I think it was underappreciated by some. But I also believe that perception is changing rapidly, and we’re excited to be part of proving what’s now possible on the platform by bringing over Cyberpunk 2077.”
This does hinge on Apple’s attitude to gaming, though. As you’ll hear everywhere, the company flirts with gaming and then quickly ghosts it. There’s never a constant feeling that Apple is finally going to jump into bed with gaming properly, cement the relationship, and go official on social media. As we’ve already said, Shatulo believes that gaming should be championed out of Cupertino; all it has to do is talk to the people first.
“And I think Apple should continue to use their platform to champion gaming. Highlighting a title like ours on the App Store or in a keynote sends a powerful message to both players and other developers: Mac is a vibrant and serious destination for gaming.”
No plans for iPhone or iPad
I did ask if there were plans to follow in Capcom and Ubisoft’s steps and perhaps bring the game to the iPhone and iPad. However, while Shatulo thinks it’d be a “fascinating technical challenge”, there are no plans right now for it.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Mac is available on Steam, Good Old Games, and the App Store. If you already own it on PC, you already own it on Mac.
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