How to play Final Fantasy VI on Mac

Final Fantasy VI by Square Enix is a Japanese role-playing game set in a world that is industrializing, but also has magic. This choice of setting sets it apart from the previous Final Fantasy games, which tended to avoid technology and were more fantastic in nature, and the game’s plot does the game. Final Fantasy VI features a darker, more mature story than the earlier games – and that is a good thing. It is, after all, the reason the game is considered one of the stronger Final Fantasy titles, and, indeed, one of the best RPGs of all time. Another thing that makes the game stand out is its expansive cast of characters – the players eventually assemble a party of fourteen – larger than any other Final Fantasy title.
It should come as no surprise that such an outstanding game received a number of ports and re-releases. Originally released in 1994 on the Super NES, it has since been ported to the PlayStation in 1999, to the GBA in 2006, and to Android and iOS smartphones in 2014. Finally, the game received not one, but two PC ports. The first PC port came out in 2015, and, although it’s been generally positively received, has also attracted some controversy. Many were displeased that the remaster abandoned the original’s pixel graphics style. In response, the game received the second PC release in 2022, featuring pixel graphics this time. Yet, despite all these releases and re-releases, the game has never received a Mac port. That doesn’t mean you can’t play Final Fantasy VI on Mac, however – read below to see how it’s possible.

System Requirements (2022 Pixel Remaster)

Play Final Fantasy VI on Mac with Parallels

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 Final Fantasy VI game on Mac just like on a regular PC.

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 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.

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 Final Fantasy VI on Mac using Bluestacks

Since Final Fantasy VI is available on many different platforms, you can play it by emulating one of these platforms, for example Android if you want a relatively new version of the game.
Among the variety of Android emulators, Bluestacks is the most advanced one. Firstly, it is available for both Windows and Mac with full functionality. Secondly, it allows effortless automatic transition to PC game controls, convenient hot-keys, that you are used to from any regular PC game. It provides high performance and graphics in any mobile game even on a relatively weak PC or Mac, as computer processors are usually more powerful than smartphone ones. To run Final Fantasy VI on Mac you need to perform these easy steps:

1. Download latest version of Bluestacks for MacOS.
2. Open Play Store and sign-in with your Google account.
3. Download Final Fantasy VI from the catalog and run it.
4. Bluestacks may offer you to run better engine for this game.
5. Install the game and start playing!

You can also emulate PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, or Super NES versions if you have a weaker Mac. Read our guide on emulation on Mac if you’re interested.

Play Final Fantasy VI on M1 (M2, M3) Mac

Final Fantasy VI is also available on iOS, and, as you may already know, M1 Macs (latest Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, Mac Mini, iMac) are able to run many iOS apps and games on MacOS. If for apps it can be useful because many iPad and iPhone apps are very advanced and suitable for desktop usage, in gaming this is just magic. M chips (especially M Pro, M Max, M Ultra) are much more powerful than iPhone and iPad chips, in many types of games (shooters, racing) keyboard and mouse (trackpad) controls are much more useful than touch.

To download and play Final Fantasy VI on M1 (M2, M3) Mac do the following:

1. On your iOS device download Final Fantasy VI.
2. On your Mac go to Mac App Store and click on your profile in the bottom left corner.
3. Under account click iPhone‌ & ‌iPad‌ Apps.
4. Download Final Fantasy VI on your Mac device and start playing!

Play Final Fantasy VI 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 Final Fantasy VI on Mac

This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Final Fantasy VI 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.

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)