Apple's Impressive Emulation Tech Brings Popular Windows Games to Mac
Gamers typically don't turn to Apple hardware for their video game fix, but macOS 14 Sonoma and the developer-focused Game Porting Toolkit may change their minds.
Game Mode in Sonoma introduces enhanced video game performance and low-input latency options, while the Game Porting Toolkit gives developers a convenient emulation environment and monitoring features to get unmodified Windows titles running on Apple hardware. This lets developers more easily optimize releases for Metal API, and gives players quick-and-dirty game emulation for Macs.
We got hands-on time with both to see what Apple has planned for the PC gaming ecosystem.
When macOS 14 Sonoma detects that you're running a game, a controller icon pops up in your Mac’s menu bar. Open this, and you can toggle Game Mode on or off. When turned on, Game Mode makes Sonoma prioritize CPU and GPU performance, and relegates other tasks to the background. The exception to this is audio-related tasks, should you want to stream music or your gaming session online.
Game Mode also reduces audio latency to devices like AirPods, as well as input latency with PlayStation, Xbox, and Bluetooth controllers by increasing the sampling rate. We tested this with Spin Rhythm XD, a rhythm game. We played a basic level with a PlayStation 5 controller with Game Mode turned off to get a feel for the controls. We then tried it again with Game Mode activated to note the difference. Admittedly, the changes were subtle, with minute differences between the button taps and stick flicks. They were enough to trip us up a few times, but Game Mode felt a bit snappier and more responsive overall. We're looking forward to experimenting with Game Mode when macOS Sonoma officially launches later this
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