You don’t buy a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or any other Mac computer for gaming—at least, not traditionally. Macs are usually purchased for tasks like photo and video editing, programming, and perhaps office work. Spending a significant amount of money on a device that historically hasn’t supported most AAA games seems impractical. For those unfamiliar, AAA (or triple-A) games are titles with substantial development and marketing budgets. However, with the introduction of Apple Silicon chips, this trend appears to be changing.
Resident Evil 2 is now available on the App Store, alongside Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, and Resident Evil 4. What’s more, if you buy these games on a Mac, you can also play them on your iPad Pro or iPhone, thanks to Apple’s ecosystem integration.
When I finally upgraded my mid-2010 MacBook Pro to a MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip, I was curious to explore light gaming—just to see what it’s like. Online discussions often criticize Mac gaming, comparing it to cheaper Windows PCs, Xbox, or PlayStation consoles. The common narrative is that Macs can’t handle gaming.
After two months with my new MacBook Pro, I can confidently say that Mac gaming is not only real—it’s enjoyable. I’ve played a racing game, a horror game, and an adventure game, all of which have been smooth and fun experiences. What’s even better is the seamless compatibility with Xbox and PlayStation controllers, which enhances the overall experience.
That said, I’m not playing on max settings, nor am I a demanding gamer. As long as there’s no lag, I’m satisfied. I don’t expect console-level visuals or performance. My goal is simple: to launch a game, pick up a controller, and immerse myself in solving puzzles or taking down zombies without distractions.
Reflecting on two months with the M4 Pro, I’ve also found myself considering new opportunities. For instance, I might finally learn Swift. On my old MacBook, even launching Swift Playgrounds was impossible, let alone downloading Xcode. Now, I can do both. I’ve started experimenting with Playgrounds, and the learning process feels promising. Whether I’ll create a full iOS app remains to be seen, but I’m optimistic.
As for the machine itself, I opted for the base MacBook Pro M4 Pro with 24 GB of RAM and nearly 500 GB of SSD storage. This setup more than meets my current needs. I don’t plan to hoard games on my device. Once I finish a game, I delete it. If I ever want to revisit it, re-downloading is easy. The same principle applies to photo or video editing. If I ever start creating videos or editing photos, I’ll invest in an external hard drive to store my work. After all, paying Apple’s steep prices for SSD upgrades feels like robbery. This practicality has also made me think about how much storage I’ll need on my next iPhone.
Mac gaming is real. Although I’m slightly apprehensive about diving into Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, I’m determined to complete it eventually. I’ve watched walkthroughs on YouTube several times, so I know what to expect. And while Macs are still ideal for photo editing, video editing, and programming, they’re also proving themselves as capable gaming machines. Who knows—maybe we’ll even see a GTA title for Mac someday. After all, dreaming is free.
Stay sharp, everyone.
Kindly,
Olaaf
