Is it possible to play X4 Foundations on Mac?
X4 Foundations is a space sandbox game developed by Egosoft for their X Universe game series. Unlike many games in this genre (for example, Elite Dangerous), X4 Foundations, and the series as a whole, do not focus on exploration and combat, though there’s still plenty of that. Instead, the main selling point of this game is its complex, fully simulated economy. Here, the economy works the same way it works in real life, through logistics and supply chains. First, the base resources, such as energy and ore, are produced. Cargo spaceships take these resources and deliver them to factories which turn them into intermediate products, and, somewhere down the line, usable products such as that shiny SPL M Tau Accelerator Mk2 weapon you’ve been eyeing. And if there’s none in stock? Well, maybe it’s because a few Silicon Wafer factories on the other side of the galaxy have stopped production and now there’s a shortage. Time to seize that market share; in this game, you don’t just fly around and trade and shoot. You can, eventually, lead a vast trade empire with many factories and ships under your command. Although it is only available on Windows and Linux, you can run X4 Foundations on Mac too by using third-party software. The guide below will provide the instructions.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor: Intel i5-4590 3.3GHz or AMD equivalent | Processor: Intel Core i7-6700 or AMD equivalent |
| RAM: 8 GB | RAM: 16 GB |
| Video card: Nvidia GTX 780/970 or AMD equivalent (Vulkan support required) | Video card: Nvidia GTX 1070 or AMD equivalent (Vulkan support required) |
| Storage: 15 GB | Storage: 20 GB |
Play X4 Foundations on Mac with Parallels
X4 Foundations 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, and enjoy the X4 Foundations game on Mac just like on a regular PC.
Note: Recommended devices to run resource-demanding games: MacBook Pro (models with an Intel processor, discrete graphics cards, and 16 GB of RAM or more), iMac (models with Intel processor, discrete graphics cards, and 16 GB of RAM or more), iMac Pro (all models are suitable), Mac Pro (all models are suitable). Parallels on Mac computers with M1 (M1 Pro, M1 Max) chips may not support recent games. Games that require DirectX 12 and later 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 X4 Foundations on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the X4 Foundations 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 X4 Foundations in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.
Play X4 Foundations 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 X4 Foundations on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play X4 Foundations 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)