Is it possible to play Team Fortress 2 on Mac?
Team Fortress 2 is a well-known multiplayer shooter game developed by Valve. One of the original Hero Shooter games, it boasts a roster of nine characters: Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, Medic, Sniper, and Spy. All of them have unique abilities, which are usually easy to guess simply from the name. To give an example, Heavy wields a minigun and has lots of health, Engineer can construct turrets, while Spy can turn disguise himself as a member of the other team. Each character can also equip a variety of weapons and other equipment, which can change their stats to an extent. However, equipment generally doesn’t change the way the characters are played; it is mostly restricted to altering stats. There are many purely cosmetic items as well. Team Fortress 2 is listed on Steam as available on macOS, however, this is a little misleading. As a 32-bit game, it cannot be played on any modern Mac without additional software. This is where our guide comes in. Scroll down for a list of ways to play Team Fortress 2 on Mac.
Play Team Fortress 2 on Mac with Parallels
One easy way to play Team Fortress 2 on Mac is by using a program called Parallels Desktop. This program is capable of creating and running virtual machines that run Windows and support hardware acceleration. In simpler terms, Parallels Desktop 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, or any other launcher for that matter), and enjoy the Team Fortress 2 game on Mac just like on a regular PC. Generally speaking, you will need an iMac Pro or a Mac Pro to run demanding games. However, if the game you’re trying to run is old, or simply doesn’t demand much from computer hardware, then you will likely be able to run it on any Mac computer, including MacBook Air. When it comes to games in-between, it is recommended to consider your Mac’s hardware specifications instead of thinking in terms of its model.
Please note that not all games are supported by Parallels Desktop. Several conditions must be met for the game to be playable. Your Mac must exceed minimum system requirements for the game. Playing a game on Windows running through Parallels places additional strain on your Mac, so meeting them is not enough. Games that require DirectX12 are currently not supported by Parallels. Online games that use anti-cheat software may be incompatible as well. If your Mac has an Apple Silicon chip (such as M1, M2, or M3), you may experience issues playing modern games. AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.
Play Team Fortress 2 on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy Team Fortress 2 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; the best ones are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud, and NVidia GeForce NOW. As Boosteroid has Team Fortress 2 in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.
Play Team Fortress 2 on Mac with CrossOver
CrossOver, developed by CodeWeavers, is a Windows compatibility layer for macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux. It enables many Windows-based applications to run on these operating systems without virtualization. Though compatibility layers can be tricky to work with, CrossOver in particular includes user-friendly configuration tools, automated installation scripts, and technical support. As such, it is a relatively easy way to run Windows software and games on non-Windows devices. You may be able to play Team Fortress 2 on Mac using CrossOver as well.
Please note that not all games are supported by CrossOver. DirectX12 games are officially unsupported; however, you may be able to play them anyway by using this tool. Other games, especially online games that use anti-cheat software, may be incompatible as well. You may check your game’s compatibility by using the official compatibility database, or by using CrossOver’s free trial.
Play Team Fortress 2 on Mac with BootCamp
Note: Mac computers with Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3 Pro, or M1, M2, M3 Max) do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run Team Fortress 2 on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Team Fortress 2 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 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)