Is it possible to play Fallout 4 on Mac?
Developed and published by Bethesda Studios, Fallout 4 is part of the entire RPG series, bringing a world of post-apocalyptic gameplay. The fourth chapter unfolds in the city of Boston, the so-called “Commonwealth” located around the Massachusetts region. Players are out to play for a survivor who makes his way out of long-term cryogenic stasis in an underground nuclear shelter to the radioactive world. The character goes for the arduous task of finding his kidnapped son in a dangerous region. Throughout this mission, players will get through various challenges saturated with action. Completing different quests, helping other survivors, collecting materials to upgrade gear and weapons, elevating crafting skills, and many more will be part of this perilous adventure. Most players have been satisfied playing the game on Windows, PS4, and Xbox One platforms since its early release in 2015. The game has by far deserved its spot as one of the most iconic games ever existed. Unfortunately, there is no Fallout 4 seen on the horizon for Mac users, which is a shame considering how great this game actually is. This is why we decided to wrap this guide into instructions dedicated to launching Fallout 4 on macOS against any incompatibility.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required) | OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required) |
| Processor: Intel Core i5-2300 2.8 GHz/AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0 GHz or equivalent | Processor: Intel Core i7 4790 3.6 GHz/AMD FX-9590 4.7 GHz or equivalent |
| RAM: 8 GB | RAM: 8 GB |
| Video card: NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or equivalent | Video card: NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB/AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB or equivalent |
| DirectX: from 10 version | DirectX: from 10 version |
| Disc space: 30 GB | Disc space: 30 GB |
Play Fallout 4 on Mac with Parallels
Fallout 4 requires lots of PC resources, but you can play the game if you have a powerful Mac computer (iMac, iMac Pro, or Mac Pro), and Parallels Desktop can be a solution. This is software for Windows virtualization on Mac with the full support of DirectX and GPUs. It allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with a couple of clicks and switch between MacOS and Windows instantly. You can run Windows just like on a regular PC, install Steam and enjoy the Fallout 4 game on Mac.
Note: Recommended devices to run resource-demanding games: MacBook Pro (models with 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 versions are suitable), Mac Pro (all versions 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 currently not supported by Parallels.
Play Fallout 4 on Mac with cloud gaming services
Update: Xbox Cloud gaming fully supports Fallout 4 to date, and you can play Fallout 4 on Mac on full settings! Register and explore cloud gaming now!
If you have an old Mac, or it cannot satisfy Fallout 4 game system requirements, there is an easy solution. Cloud gaming provides you with sufficient cloud resources for a fixed fee. All you need is a browser or a small client program and a good internet connection starting from 15 MBits/s. There are several great services, that provide such an opportunity, among the best are Boosteroid, AirGPU and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Both services already have Fallout 4 in their game catalog, and you can play on any Mac computer (starting from MacOS 10.10) and even Android! Xbox Cloud Gaming can be used for 1 month for just $1, every service has its pros and cons!
Play Fallout 4 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 Fallout 4 on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, this is probably the best way to play Fallout 4 for now. You need to set up a dual boot of Windows and Mac via BootCamp. BootCamp 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 switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Remember that Mac is just a computer, that uses common processors, RAM, disks, and other components. So you can install Windows on Mac by allocating disc space of a minimum of 64 Gb (to be able to run Windows and a couple of games). To set up Windows via BootCamp, please, do the following:
For OS X El Capitan 10.11 or later
Mention, that for MacOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 you will need to create bootable Windows USB.
- Download Windows ISO file
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities)
- Define the Windows partition size, choose downloaded Windows ISO file
- Format 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)