Is it possible to play Knights of Honor II: Sovereign on Mac?
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is a grand strategy game developed by Black Sea Games. Set in the medieval period, the game features the European continent, North Africa, and certain parts of Asia. This is not coincidental: only areas known to medieval Europeans are present in the game. Unlike many games in the genre, Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is not turn-based. Everything in the game, including combat, takes place in real time. Thankfully, the designers made an attempt to streamline the game’s numerous systems, making them accessible and easy to understand. You wouldn’t have to stare at the screen for hours just to figure out what’s going on. But streamlining is not the same as simplifying. Though certainly made for players new to the genre, Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is not a shallow game. The game’s mechanics – be it combat, diplomacy, or economy – all have depth to them; there are certainly many cerebral decisions that need to be made. This game is a Windows exclusive, which is obviously disappointing if you’re using an Apple PC instead. But we have some good news for you, too. There are several ways to play Knights of Honor II: Sovereign on Mac even though the game doesn’t officially support this. Read the guide below to learn more.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor: AMD FX-8350 or Intel Core i5-2500K | Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 or Intel Core i5-6600k |
| RAM: 8 GB | RAM: 16 GB |
| Video card: Radeon HD 7870 / GeForce GTX 750-Ti | Video card: Radeon RX 580 / GeForce GTX 1660 |
| DirectX: Version 11 | DirectX: Version 11 |
| Storage: 14 GB | Storage: 14 GB |
Play Knights of Honor II: Sovereign on Mac with Parallels
Knights of Honor II: Sovereign 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 (or Epic Games Store), and enjoy the Knights of Honor II: Sovereign game on Mac just like on a regular PC.
Please note that not all games are supported by Parallels. Several conditions must be met for the game to be playable. Your Mac must exceed minimum system requirements for the game; meeting them is not enough. Generally speaking, you will need an iMac Pro or a Mac Pro to run demanding games. Some MacBook Pro and iMac models are also suitable; they must have an Intel processor, a discrete graphics card and at least 16 GB of RAM. If your Mac has an Apple Silicon chip (such as M1, M2, M3), you may experience issues playing modern games. Games that require DirectX 12 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 Knights of Honor II: Sovereign on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the Knights of Honor II: Sovereign 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. As Boosteroid has Knights of Honor II: Sovereign in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.
Play Knights of Honor II: Sovereign 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 Knights of Honor II: Sovereign on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Knights of Honor II: Sovereign 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 and older
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)