Last updated on September 28th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
When I learned Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to Mac, I was in awe to finally get a native release, five years after it launched. The thing is, however, that CD Projekt Red removed it. No streaming, no bizarre compatibility layers: pure, native shipping and Apple Silicon gaming.
And if you’re wondering whether your Mac can play Night City, here’s what I found out after trying it myself.
Table of Contents
What You Really Need to Play Cyberpunk 2077 on Mac
First, not all Macs will work. It requires an Apple Silicon chip (M1 to M4), macOS 15.5 or newer, and 16GB or more of unified memory. What, those 8GB MacBook Airs? They’re out.
The Mac App Store version consumes 159GB. Steam, GOG, and Epic allow you to choose your language, which reduces the size to 92GB. If you’re short on space, skip the App Store.
I ran this on an M2 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM. This is what you could be applying:
- M1 16GB: 1440×900 at 30 FPS (completely playable, but does not look like a miracle)
- M3 Pro 18GB: 1920×1080 at 60 FPS (it is the sweet spot)
- M3 Max and over: 2.5K x 1.4K at 60 FPS, ray tracing mode.
To Perform Maximally well (Or at least without a PhD in Settings)
Image Credits: SixColors
My biggest suggestion: Seriously. The game analyzes your hardware and automatically switches to optimized settings. Don’t mess with it right away.
However, when you continue to have stutters, the following is what actually worked with me:
Turn off frame generation. On anything that is under M3 Max, it is reversed, but frame generation is more problematic than beneficial. You will have higher FPS, but the reality? Choppy and weird.
Global Resolution MetalFX Dynamic On. This is Apple’s response to NVIDIA’s. It also optimizes resolution dynamically to maintain smooth framerates, and to be honest, it is quite good.
It requires some ray tracing, which is unavailable below M3 Max. The ray-traced reflections are cool, alright. But they will tank your framerate so much that it isn’t worth it on lower-end chips.
One strange workaround I found: are your keyboard preferences slow? One weird trick I found: are your VSync options slow? The game’s default mode is 30Hz, which is mushy. Switch to your display’s native refresh rate (usually 60Hz), and you’ll get no input lag.
Where to Actually Buy It
If you already have Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam, GOG, or Epic, you can get the Mac version at no cost. It works on PC with cross-saving.
Buying fresh? Your best bet will be either Steam or GOG. Compressed size, equal performance, and you are not locked into the Apple ecosystem.
And one more: if you are trying to install it on an external SSD and the system crashes repeatedly, move it to your internal drive. Big games can make external drives act up.
FAQ’s
Can I play Cyberpunk 2077 on an M1 MacBook Air?
It only works with the 16GB RAM version. The 8GB version isn’t supported. You will get 30 FPS at reduced resolution, but it is playable if you are not an obsessive graphics expert.
Does my Mac get hot running this game?
It will heat up, but not like it will on my MacBook Pro M1 Pro, and I am stunned at what Apple vendors just yanked away. MacBook Pros will get a kick from fans, but so will this one. The system will not have a chance to overheat.
Should I wait for updates before buying?
It’s currently running fine on most supported Macs. CD Projekt Red listed Metal 4 features alongside the next macOS release, which may further improve performance. But honestly? It is hard enough to play back.
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