Gaming on Mac Studio: What it’s like to run Cyberpunk 2077 on a $8,000 Apple machine
Macs have long held the reputation of being productivity powerhouses, not gaming rigs. But with the launch of the high-end Mac Studio powered by Apple’s M1 Ultra chip, the conversation is shifting. Can a premium desktop from Cupertino truly deliver next-level AAA gaming performance? We tested Cyberpunk 2077—the notoriously demanding open-world RPG—on an $8,000 Mac Studio setup to find out. This article unpacks the performance benchmarks, compatibility hurdles, and real-world experience of gaming on a Mac platform not built with gamers in mind. If you’re eyeing macOS for entertainment as much as productivity, here’s what you need to know before investing.
The Mac Studio hardware: Power on paper
On paper, the Mac Studio is a powerhouse. The model we tested featured the M1 Ultra chip, which combines two M1 Max chips into one via Apple’s UltraFusion architecture. That translates to a 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, and up to 128GB unified memory. Our test unit was maxed out, retailing at roughly $8,000, including 2TB of SSD storage and a premium display.
Despite being marketed towards creatives, benchmarks suggest the Mac Studio can go toe-to-toe with top-tier Intel and AMD custom rigs in rendering, workflow, and multi-threaded tasks. But gaming doesn’t always benefit from optimized creative hardware. Games ask for dedicated GPUs, optimization for DirectX/Vulkan APIs, and system flexibility—categories where the Mac experience often falters. This test was as much about compatibility as raw specs.
Running Cyberpunk 2077 on macOS: Not native, but possible
Cyberpunk 2077 was never released for macOS, so running it requires workarounds. We used Parallels Desktop 18, a paid virtualization tool that supports Windows 11 ARM on Macs with Apple Silicon. Combined with optimization tweaks and upscaling features like AMD FSR (through Windows), the game was playable—but not flawless.
The game ran at 1080p on medium settings, averaging frame rates between 28 to 35 FPS. Performance was generally stable in interiors and during light combat, but during open-world driving scenes or explosions, dips below 30 FPS were common. Visual quality took a hit, particularly due to lower texture detail and disabled ray tracing—but the game was functional without major crashes.
The downside: Parallels doesn’t allow direct GPU passthrough, meaning you’re essentially gaming in a virtualized sandbox, not through the full native GPU capabilities. While Apple’s Metal API is potent, most AAA games—including Cyberpunk—are built around DirectX 12, which performs better on Windows with gaming-optimized drivers.
Real-world playability vs cost
We’re looking at an $8,000 Mac Studio with technical specs that compete with high-end PC builds—but the gaming performance lags significantly behind similarly priced Windows machines. For comparison, a $2,500 gaming PC with an RTX 4080, Ryzen 9 7900X, and 64GB DDR5 RAM would demolish the Mac Studio in Cyberpunk 2077, especially running natively on Windows with DLSS and ray tracing enabled.
Consider the cost-to-performance ratio. When focusing purely on gaming, the Mac Studio doesn’t justify the expense. However, for content creators who also dabble in games, this machine covers video editing, music production, and 3D design with minimal limitations—while offering passable gaming support on the side.
Better fit for cloud gaming and lighter titles
For those set on gaming with a Mac Studio, alternative approaches like cloud gaming provide a smoother route. Services like GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming run Cyberpunk 2077 on powerful servers and stream the results, bypassing macOS’s hardware constraints.
Meanwhile, native Mac titles or optimized ports like Baldur’s Gate 3, Hades, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider perform well, especially when scaled for Apple Silicon. Indie developers are increasingly targeting the Metal API, making the Mac more viable for casual or mid-tier gaming. But when it comes to cutting-edge blockbusters like Cyberpunk 2077, the experience remains suboptimal without workarounds.
Final thoughts
The Mac Studio showcases what Apple Silicon can do—redefining power in a compact package. But that power doesn’t translate seamlessly into AAA gaming excellence. Cyberpunk 2077 on an $8,000 Mac Studio is feasible, but falls noticeably short of the performance—and fluidity—found on much cheaper custom gaming PCs. If your workflow centers around creative production with the occasional gaming session on the side, the Mac Studio excels. But if top-tier gaming is your priority, your money is better spent elsewhere. Until native support or game-streaming platforms fully bridge the gap, macOS remains a gaming afterthought—not its primary arena.
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Image by: Iacob Stefan
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