Is it possible to to play Sonic Mania on Mac?
Sonic Mania is a platforming game developed by Headcannon and published by SEGA. Developed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sonic franchise, this game is designed to look and play just like the original games for the SEGA Genesis console. Sonic Mania features three playable characters: Sonic himself, Tails, and Knuckles. All of them have unique abilities to ensure gameplay variety. Sonic has his trademark dash, Tails is capable of flight, and Knuckles can climb walls. The game has 13 different levels; however, only five of them are fully original. The other eight are adapted from previous Sonic games. Although this has caused some criticism – people would’ve preferred more new content – all of them are fun to play. All levels feature two boss fights and cutscenes that gradually reveal the game’s story. The game can be played on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Nintendo Switch version is available for those who wish to play on the go, and Windows users were not neglected either; a digital version of the game can be purchased on Steam. Unsurprisingly, there’s no official Mac support, but you can play Sonic Mania on Mac nonetheless. How? The guide below will answer this question.
System Requirements
| Minimal |
|---|
| OS: Windows 7, 8, 10 |
| Processor: Core 2 Duo |
| RAM: 2 GB |
| Video card: 256MB VRAM |
| DirectX: Version 9 |
| Storage: 400 MB |
Play Sonic Mania on Mac with Parallels
Sonic Mania is not a demanding game, 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 (or Epic Games Store), and enjoy the Sonic Mania 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 Sonic Mania on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the Sonic Mania 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 Sonic Mania in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.
Play Sonic Mania 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 Sonic Mania on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Sonic Mania 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)