How to play Resident Evil 4 on Mac

Is it possible to play Resident Evil 4 on Mac?

Resident Evil 4 is one of the most prominent chapters within the whole survival horror franchise that has conquered the hearts of many gamers worldwide. Developed by Capcom, the game puts its players behind the shoulders of Leon S. Kennedy, a government agent assigned to embark on a rescue mission for the U.S. President’s daughter. Reported to be in a European village, the main character will have to go through a number of truly mysterious events that endanger not only the hostage but also the entire world. Those in love with the whole Resident Evil universe are promised to spend their hours enjoying the fascinating plot, exploration, enemy combats, boss fights, and puzzle-solving elements. Having access to a variety of weapons, players will have to come up with their own strategy for resolving the mystery and preventing drastic consequences caused by the uncontrolled spread of a devastating virus. The game’s storyline is told through a combination of cutscenes and in-game dialogue, involving personal choices and actions that may affect the course of the game. Likewise other old chapters of the franchise, the 2005 original Resident Evil 4 has recently got a Remake giving the iconic game a new modern look with updated graphics, redrawn models, and changes in certain mechanics. Whether you are new to this universe or simply an old-time fan who wants to replay Resident Evil 4 in a new look on macOS, follow our guide to learn how to do it. Although Mac is not around the official list of supported platforms, there are legitimate methods to launch and play it regardless!

System Requirements

Minimal Recommended
OS: Windows 10 (64 bit) OS: Windows 10 (64 bit)/Windows 11 (64 bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 / Intel Core i5-7500 Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 / Intel Core i7 8700
RAM: 8 GB RAM: 16 GB
Video card: AMD Radeon RX 560 with 4GB VRAM / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB VRAM Video card: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
DirectX: Version 12 DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB SSD Storage: 50 GB SSD

Play Resident Evil 4 on Mac with Parallels

play Resident Evil 4 on mac with parallels

Resident Evil 4 is a demanding game, but 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 Resident Evil 4 game on Mac just like on a regular PC.

Download Parallels Desktop

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 Resident Evil 4 on Mac with cloud gaming services

If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the Resident Evil 4 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, Nvidia GeForce Now. To the date there are only few cloud gaming services support Resident Evil 4. You can run Resident Evil 4 on Mac via Boosteroid, Shadow or airGPU.

Try Boosteroid

Play Resident Evil 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 Resident Evil 4 on Mac

This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Resident Evil 4 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.

  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)

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