How to play SCP: Secret Laboratory on Mac

Is it possible to play SCP: Secret Laboratory on Mac?

SCP: Secret Laboratory is a free multiplayer game set within the fictional universe of SCP Foundation. The Foundation is a organization determined to protect humanity from anomalous threats. It locates objects, people, and other entities that do not follow the laws of physics, and contains them in laboratories. Studying them, however, is a secondary concern; the most important part is to simply keep them inside. That is done for safety – many specimens are incredibly hostile – but also to ensure that mankind doesn’t learn about the supernatural world. Unfortunately, the SCP Foundation has many enemies. Chaos Insurgency has managed to infiltrate a Foundation lab, Site-02, and released many dangerous entities. At this point, the game begins. You will need to accomplish objectives that depend on your role. Test subjects, for example, seek to escape the facility. Security personnel must protect and evacuate vulnerable scientists (who are also playable). Chaos Insurgency agents work to kill Foundation members and plunder the laboratory of anomalous objects. You can even play as sentient SCP entities; in this case, your job is simply to sow chaos and kill as many humans as possible. This game is a Windows exclusive, but don’t let it stop you. With the right tools, you can play SCP: Secret Laboratory on Mac as well. Read the guide below to learn how.

System Requirements

Play SCP: Secret Laboratory on Mac with Parallels

SCP: Secret Laboratory 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 SCP: Secret Laboratory 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.

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 SCP: Secret Laboratory on Mac with cloud gaming services

If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the SCP: Secret Laboratory 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 SCP: Secret Laboratory in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.

Play SCP: Secret Laboratory 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 SCP: Secret Laboratory on Mac

This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play SCP: Secret Laboratory 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)