Final Fantasy VII by Square Enix is a Japanese role-playing game originally released in 1997. It quickly became widely popular and received very high acclaim from the critics – so much that it’s been declared one of the “greatest video games of all time”.
Gameplay-wise, Final Fantasy VII is very similar to other games in the series. The characters still traverse the world map, enter cities and other locations of interest, and fight turn-based battles. Though that’s not to say there were no innovations. Final Fantasy VII was the first FF game to use 3D graphics when players were exploring locations (“field mode”), new minigames were added, and combat was enhanced with several new mechanics like Limit Breaks.
When it comes to the story, it is clear that the game tries to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VI. Though not as dark and mature as VI, VII’s plot is still heavier than those of the first five games. A corporation is trying to use life force itself as a way to generate energy. The game’s protagonist, Cloud Strife, is trying to stop them – resorting to questionable means in the process.
Originally released on PlayStation, the game was later ported to a variety of platforms, including Windows, iOS, Android, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. It also received a remake in 2020, which released on PS4, PS5, and Windows. However, the game never got a Mac release. Despite this, it is still possible to play Final Fantasy VII on Mac – discover how it’s possible by reading the guide below.
System Requirements
| Minimal |
|---|
| OS: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 (32/64bits) |
| Processor: 2GHz |
| RAM: 1 GB |
| DirectX: Version 9 |
| Storage: 3 GB |
Play Final Fantasy VII 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 VII 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 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.
Play Final Fantasy VII on Mac using Bluestacks
Since Final Fantasy VII is available on Android, you can play it on Mac by emulating it.
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 VII on Mac you need to perform these easy steps:
- Download latest version of Bluestacks for MacOS.
- Open Play Store and sign-in with your Google account.
- Download Final Fantasy VII from the catalog and run it.
- Bluestacks may offer you to run better engine for this game.
- Install the game and start playing!
You can also emulate another platform that Final Fantasy VII is available on, if you prefer.
Play Final Fantasy VII on M1 (M2, M3) Mac
As you may already know, M 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 VII on M1 (M2, M3) Mac do the following:
- On your iOS device download Final Fantasy VII.
- On your Mac go to Mac App Store and click on your profile in the bottom left corner.
- Under account click iPhone‌ & ‌iPad‌ Apps.
- Download Final Fantasy VII on your Mac device and start playing!
Play Final Fantasy VII 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 VII on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Final Fantasy VII 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)