Is it possible to play Dark Descent on Mac?
Aliens: Dark Descent is a squad-based, single-player action game set in the Alien franchise. It was developed by Tindalos Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment. The game takes place in 2198, about 20 years after the events in Alien 3. The plot is focused on an area called the Tantalus Base, where a deadly Xenomorph and alien outbreak has caused trouble for a Marine Squad, who are left to figure out how to deal with the outbreak. The gameplay features that of a top-down squad-based tactical action game that makes the player a Commander, commanding the squad. A total of 5 classes, such as the Tecker, Sergeant, Recon, Medic, and Gunner, combine to make an undefeatable squad against an opponent. Overall, Aliens: Dark Descent is a tactical, terrifying, and terrific game that captures the aesthetic, atmosphere, and claustrophobic dread of the film. It is a love-letter to Cameron’s film, rather than a cynical license cash-in, and delivers an immersive, nerve-jangling tactical horror game that allows you to credibly live out your dreams of enlisting in Aliens’ colonial marines. The game was released on June 20, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S. Unfortunately, there are no native version for MacOS, but in this article we will show how to run this game on Mac easily.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor: AMD FX-6300 / Intel Core i3-6100 | Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 1800X / Intel Core i7-9700K |
| RAM: 8 GB | RAM: 16 GB |
| Video card: 3 GB VRAM, AMD Radeon R9 380 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 | Video card: 6 GB VRAM, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 |
| DirectX: version 12 | DirectX: version 12 |
| Storage: 60 GB | Storage: 60 GB |
Play Aliens: Dark Descent on Mac with Parallels
One easy way to play Aliens: Dark Descent on Mac is by using a program called Parallels Desktop. This program is capable of creating and running virtual machines that run Windows and support hardware acceleration. In simpler terms, Parallels Desktop allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with just a couple of clicks and switch between MacOS and Windows instantly. So you will be able to run Windows, install Steam (or Epic Games Store, or any other launcher for that matter), and enjoy the Aliens: Dark Descent game on Mac just like on a regular PC. Generally speaking, you will need an iMac Pro or a Mac Pro to run demanding games. However, if the game you’re trying to run is old, or simply doesn’t demand much from computer hardware, then you will likely be able to run it on any Mac computer, including MacBook Air. When it comes to games in-between, it is recommended to consider your Mac’s hardware specifications instead of thinking in terms of its model.
Please note that not all games are supported by Parallels. Several conditions must be met for the game to be playable. Your Mac must exceed minimum system requirements for the game. Playing a game on Windows running through Parallels places additional strain on your Mac, so meeting them is not enough. Games that require DirectX 12 are currently not supported by Parallels. If your Mac has an Apple Silicon chip (such as M1, M2, M3), you may experience issues playing modern games. AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.
Play Aliens: Dark Descent on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the Aliens: Dark Descent game system requirements, there is an easy solution. Cloud gaming services will be happy to provide you with sufficient computing power – though not for free, of course. All you need is a browser or a small client program and a good internet connection starting from 15 MBit/s. There are several great platforms that provide these services; the best ones are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and NVidia GeForce NOW. Currently, only NVidia GeForce NOW, Shadow and airgpu cloud gaming services allow their users to play Aliens: Dark Descent.
Play Aliens: Dark Descent on Mac with BootCamp
Note: Mac computers with new Apple Silicon (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2 Max, M2 Pro, M2 Ultra) currently do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run Aliens: Dark Descent on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Aliens: Dark Descent on Mac by installing Windows. You need to set up a dual boot of Windows and Mac via BootCamp. This is an application that allows users to choose the system to work in on startup, however, you won’t be able to switch between systems like in Parallels. You will need to reboot your machine every time you want to switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Remember that Mac is just a computer, in the end. And while newer Macs have their own special Apple Silicon chips that cannot run Windows, older Macs are very much similar to computers that run Windows, they have Intel processors, compatible RAM, disks, and other components. So you can install Windows on an older Mac by allocating no less than 64 GB of disk space (to be able to run Windows and a couple of games) and following these steps:
For MacOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 you will need to create a bootable Windows USB.
- Download this Windows ISO file.
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities).
- Define the Windows partition size and choose the Windows ISO file you’ve downloaded.
- Format the Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps.
- When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)