DiRT Rally 2.0 is a racing game by Codemasters. The game has a very descriptive name – the “dirt” part is accurate as many of the game’s races take place off-road, sometimes in poor weather conditions as well. The “rally” part is accurate as well, as rally and rallycross are indeed the main focus of the game. DiRT Rally 2.0 is very realistic, featuring many complex models to ensure the accuracy of the gameplay. For example, weather affects how well the tires grip the road or the ground. The track deteriorates as cars drive on it, which isn’t a purely visual effect either. Cars themselves can suffer damage as well, which can make driving more difficult or even result in an automatic loss if the condition’s got too bad. With all these complexities, it is understandable that the game is considered a simulator. People who care about simulation accuracy may be further reassured by learning that this game is a part of the Colin McRae Rally and Dirt video game series. The series is named as such because Colin McRae, a World Rally Championship driver, was Codemasters’ chief advisor when it came to all these details. And while newer games, like this one or DIRT 5, did not directly benefit from his assistance, seeing as he passed away in 2007, Codemasters are obviously still applying what they’ve learned from him. The game is available only on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Nonetheless, it is still possible to play DiRT Rally 2.0 on Mac, and to learn how to do it, you’ll have to read the guide below.
Play DiRT Rally 2.0 on Mac with Parallels
DiRT Rally 2.0 requires lots of PC resources, but if you have a powerful Mac computer (iMac, iMac Pro, or Mac Pro) Parallels Desktop can be a solution. This is an application that allows for Windows virtualization on Mac with the full support of DirectX and GPUs. In simpler terms, what this means is that it 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, and enjoy the DiRT Rally 2.0 game on Mac just like on a regular PC.
Note: Recommended devices to run resource-demanding games: MacBook Pro (models with an Intel processor, discrete graphics cards, and 16 GB of RAM or more), iMac (models with Intel processor, discrete graphics cards, and 16 GB of RAM or more), iMac Pro (all models are suitable), Mac Pro (all models are suitable). Parallels on Mac computers with M1 (M1 Pro, M1 Max) chips may not support recent games. Games that require DirectX 12 and later are currently not supported by Parallels. AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.
Play DiRT Rally 2.0 on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the DiRT Rally 2.0 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, among the best are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Nvidia GeForce Now.
Play DiRT Rally 2.0 on Mac with BootCamp
Note: Mac computers with new Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 Pro, or M1, M2, M3 Max) currently do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run DiRT Rally 2.0 on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play DiRT Rally 2.0 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 OS X El Capitan 10.11 or later
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)