How to play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac (Intel/M1/M2/M3)

Is it possible to play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac?

ARK: Survival Ascended is an open-world survival-centric video game developed by Studio Wildcard. For the most part, ARK is a sandbox, and lets you do whatever you want as long as you’re able to stay alive. There are many things to do in the game, but perhaps the most exciting feature are dinosaurs. The island you’re stranded on is somehow populated by prehistoric fauna that went extinct millions of years ago. You will interact with dinosaurs and other ancient beasts throughout the entire game. At the very beginning, you will hunt smaller ones for food, while later in the game, you will be able to tame them. All of these features were already present in the previous game, ARK: Survival Evolved, but Ascended also offers plenty of new ones. Base-building has been improved significantly by implementing quality-of-life features and adding new placeable objects. The game has been rebalanced from the scratch, which is especially important for PvP servers. But the biggest change are graphical in nature. Vegetation now looks much more realistic, the new weather effects feel stunning and immersive, and the dinosaurs became scarier and more imposing. The game doesn’t have an official macOS version, but you can play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac nonetheless. Our guide lists several easy methods.

Play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac with Parallels

One easy way to play ARK: Survival Ascended 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 any other launcher for that matter), and enjoy ARK: Survival Ascended game on Mac just like you would 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 Desktop. 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 DirectX12 are currently not supported by Parallels. Online games that use anti-cheat software may be incompatible as well. AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 1)

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 2)

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 3)

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 4)

Play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac with CrossOver

CrossOver, developed by CodeWeavers, is a Windows compatibility layer for macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux. It enables many Windows-based applications to run on these operating systems without virtualization. Though compatibility layers can be tricky to work with, CrossOver in particular includes user-friendly configuration tools, automated installation scripts, and technical support. Unlike Parallels Desktop, CrossOver supports DirectX12 games. All things considered, this is a relatively easy way to run Windows software and games on non-Windows devices. As such, you may be able to play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac using CrossOver.

Play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac with cloud gaming services

If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy ARK: Survival Ascended 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 fast internet connection. There are several great platforms that provide these services; the best ones are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud, AirGPU, and NVidia GeForce NOW. As Xbox Cloud has ARK: Survival Ascended in its library, it is an excellent choice for those who want to play it. AirGPU also features this game.

Play ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac with BootCamp

Note: Mac computers with Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3 Pro, or M1, M2, M3 Max) do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run ARK: Survival Ascended on Mac

This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play ARK: Survival Ascended 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.

1. Download this Windows ISO file.
2. Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities).
3. Define the Windows partition size and choose the Windows ISO file you’ve downloaded.
4. Format the Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps.
5. When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)