Is it possible to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on Mac?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter with elements of survival horror. Developed by GSC Game World, this is the first game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, followed by Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat. The story takes place in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, but the location is quite different from its real-world counterpart. In The Zone – which is how the locals call it – you are in constant danger. You will, of course, encounter deadly radiation, as well as hostile, mutated wildlife and reality-defying anomalies. It is quite a miserable place, and no one would have ventured there if not for artifacts. In The Zone, the laws of physics are more like suggestions; as a result, it is a treasure trove of items with strange – and occasionally useful – properties. These artifacts are collected by stalkers, who then bring them to scientists, merchants, and anyone else interested. You are one of these stalkers… or, at least, you seem to be. With no memories of your past life, and only a mysterious note in your PDA as a lead, you are about to embark on a journey to discover the truth about both The Zone and yourself. The game was never released on anything other than Windows PC, but it is still possible to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on Mac. How? The guide below will answer.
Play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on Mac with Parallels
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has very modest hardware requirements, so 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 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl 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 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl 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 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.
Play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl 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 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl 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)