Which of the two biggest OS platforms is best for gaming, Windows or Mac? This is a big question with a pretty solid answer for once. Windows laptops are better gaming laptops than Macs, hands down.
So what we are talking about is that OSX vs Windows not Mac vs PC. Continue this thread level 2. 1 point 5 years ago. The iMac is also using laptop parts, because like you said, they want it thinner. Most games tend to run better on Windows because that is what they were made for.
Macs are good for certain things, like coding or photo/video editing, but they are simply not good for games and the gaming world reflects this. You will find thousands of titles available for Windows but only a handful available for Mac. Why?
Because the majority of laptop users are Windows users and thus the majority of laptop gamers are Windows users. So, naturally, game devs develop their games for Windows first over Mac.
Windows also has the most laptops capable of withstanding today’s demanding games so it makes sense that there would be more games available for Windows than Mac.
Things to Consider
Games
The first thing you should consider when deciding between a Windows laptop or a Mac is the types of games you’ll be playing.
You’ll want a laptop that can run the games you want to play so always check the recommended specs for the games you are wanting to play and figure out what hardware you want in your laptop based on that.
There are a lot of really demanding games coming out for PC; ones that require huge processors and memory and graphics cards that make even Minecraft sparkle. If those are the games you want to play, then your laptop specs need to match that.
Currently, there are thousands more games available for Windows than Mac, and none (to this writer’s knowledge) that are available for Mac only and not Windows.
If you do decide on a Mac, do some research into what games are available for you and make sure they are games you would be willing to play for some time.
Budget
..Windows gaming laptops range in price from $500 to well over $2000 so there should be one in there to fit your budget and gaming style…
The next thing to consider is your budget. Windows gaming laptops range in price from $500 to well over $2000 so there should be one in there to fit your budget and gaming style.
If you’re wanting to play some of the more graphically demanding games on the market, you’ll need to be willing to pay for that super-charged graphics card and lightspeed RAM and processor.
Windows models that keep up with today’s games can rack up anywhere from $1500-$3000 but it isn’t always necessary to have top of the line everything.
My MSI was top of the line in 2017 and cost about $1300 but still runs the most graphically demanding games on the market with no issue.
Pro Tip: This is why you should always check your recommended specs before purchasing a game because they’re often far lower than the top of the line hardware that is available. This way you don’t have to worry about having the newest GeForce 10bajillion graphics card or Core i100 processor to run your favorite games.
Macs on the other hand are insanely expensive (even lower end models) compared to the hardware that comes inside them. Even the most gaming compatible models costing well over $2000.
Performance
The last thing to consider is performance whilst gaming. Obviously, you’re going to want your laptop to perform well when you’re gaming; that’s what it’s for.
Be sure to check the recommended specs for the games you want to play against the laptop that you are thinking about purchasing.
Windows
Pros
- More options
- More games
- More power
Cons
- Storage
- Bloatware
Mac
Pros
- More games becoming available
- Some models are game capable
Cons
- Too expensive
- Not many games available
Windows
Windows still dominates the market despite Macs growing popularity. As such, game producers look to develop games for Windows first before ever looking to other platforms.
That is not to say that you can’t game on a Mac but you will have a wider selection of well-developed games on Windows.
The biggest reason why Windows is still the best platform to game on is simply because there is such a large user base that game developers would be silly to develop for Mac first over Windows; they would be cutting off their largest body of customers.
Windows laptops can be built for the sole purpose of gaming which is not the case with a Mac laptop. You can get insanely powerful gaming rigs with Windows that still cost less than the best Mac.
With that gaming rig, you could have access to all of today’s biggest PC titles at release and be able to play them without your laptop turning into a nuclear reactor.
With a Mac, there’s no guarantee that a specific title will be released for your platform and you could be waiting months or even years before it is released.
..customize your Windows gaming laptop to have whatever processor, graphics card, RAM, and storage that you want to fit your gaming style…
Windows laptops have the customizability that Macs simply do not. You can customize your Windows gaming laptop to have whatever processor, graphics card, RAM, and storage that you want to fit your gaming style.
With Mac, you have a limited number of options to choose from (with little to no customizability) and an even smaller number of options that will perform well when gaming.
Windows is the heavyweight champion, here, and probably always will be (unless Apple comes out with a gaming Mac) and it all comes down to the range of gaming options and the price. You have a massive variety of laptops to choose from for your gaming experience.
You can go with a low end $500 gaming laptop and still have a range of thousands of games to play or you can go with a high end gaming laptop and, with the money you save from not getting a Mac, you still have money left over to play some of today’s top games.
Mac
Macs are built for performance in daily work but lack the important components for gaming. For example, the less expensive Macbook options rely on integrated Intel graphics cards which are not ideal for gaming.
The more expensive Macbook options appear to have the ability to run games (and they can and do) but they are more expensive than an iMac desktop and still more expensive than most Windows gaming laptops.
The cost of a Mac compared to the hardware is not balanced at all. The hardware in a Macbook can barely run even low end games and still costs over $1000. For the same price, you could get a high end Windows laptop with almost all of today’s top performing hardware.
Macs are just not built for gaming. They lack the proper hardware to run games safely. Because they’re built to be ultraportable, they don’t have the fan power to keep your CPU and GPU cool during your gaming sessions and this can be catastrophic to your already expensive Mac laptop.
However, despite their low end specs, there are many popular games that you can play on a Mac. Many AAA titles have been released for both Windows and Mac including: League of Legends, Counterstrike, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Fortnite, and many more.
It’s not that you can’t play games on a Mac, it’s just that your performance and the variety of games available to you pale in comparison to Windows laptops.
If you are a casual gamer who needs a Mac for other things outside gaming (e.g. work or school) then a Mac is not a bad option, especially if you already have one or are used to macOS and Apple products.
But if you are a hardcore gamer or like to stay up to date with new titles, there is no better option than a Windows laptop. Customize it to fit your gaming style and it will still probably cost less than a Mac and be far more cost effective.
Related Posts
If you are looking for a way to play Windows games on Mac, then this article is your cup of tea. As in this article we’re going to share with you different ways using which you can play Windows based game on your Mac just by doing a little hard work.
Mac may be the best OS in comparison to Windows, but if it comes to gaming, most of the games don’t support Mac OS X. There are lots of reasons behind this including less customizable hardware and mid-level integrated graphics. But not to worry anymore, because there are different ways to make that thing happen, all you need is a selection of good software which are out there to help you.
Below you’re going to read about different software to play any Windows bases game on your Mac OS. So that it’s become easier for you to choose the best one according to your need. Lets we start with
1. Play Windows games on a Mac with Boot Camp
Apple visualization solution is one of the best and simple way to play games on your Mac. All you need to do is install a Boot camp and Windows onto your machine. Now running a startup through Windows you’re able to start your gaming. This method is count as one of the best choice because you don’t have to face performance issues that come with emulators.
2. Play Windows games on a Mac with Wine
If you feel the above method to be tedious because it need a reboot to switch between OS X and Windows environment, then you might like Wine. Wine is a free, open source software and best alternative to CrossOver which might save some of your $$$. Use this amazing software is in beta and you will not get a flawless functionality but still this amazing product generating lots of heat among users online.
Using Wine you are able to access the Windows content on your Mac by creating separate prefixes for each application. Basically its not an application, the software using which your computer is able to run a program which it can’t able to do. One of the best things about this tool is, that you won’t feel any performance drop
3. Play Windows games on a Mac with CrossOver
CrossOver is an amazing application using which allows you to install many popular Windows applications and PC games on your Mac. It’s easy, affordable, and best of all, there’s no Windows license required. Your Windows applications and games integrate seamlessly on your computer. Basically its a paid version of Wine and serves as an alternative with lots of amazing features and product upgrade.
Run Windows On Mac Free
As the installation process will take a little longer and if you are confused whether your desired application going to run well or not. You can try “whatsrun” feature of this application, as using this tool I found that this application has a good selection of popular games.
4. Play Windows games on a Mac with Parallels Desktop 8
Parallels Desktop for Mac is the most tested, trusted and talked-about solution for running Windows applications on your Mac without rebooting. Using this application you can seamlessly run both Windows and Mac OS X applications side-by-side with speed, control and confidence. Setting up parallel desktop for Mac is very easy with this software which bring all your PC program, photos, document, music and much more to your Mac.
Using this app means you have best of both worlds on one desktop, but it requires a Windows license to function.
5. Play Windows games on a Mac with VMware Fusion 5
Run Windows Programs On Mac
VMware Fusion 5 another cool software for home users who are looking for the easiest, fastest and most reliable way to run Windows programs on a Mac. Run your favorite Windows programs alongside Mac applications without rebooting. Whether you want to run Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 on a Mac.
Also there are option like unity view and single window mode, simply choose this option, and you won’t see any of the Windows task bars or icons. It will look like a regular Mac OS but no doubt Windows working undercover too.
How To Get Mac Os On Windows
So these best software to play Windows Game for Mac OS X. Let us know what game you got to run this way in the comments.