Gaming Performance Review of the M4 MacBook Air: Surprising Potential
Hello, gaming and tech enthusiasts! Today I’d like to share how far gaming can go on the M4 MacBook Air, along with some latest updates. For reference, the cool MacBook I’m testing today isn’t the most basic model, but rather the 13-inch M4 with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16GB of memory.
While this laptop isn’t designed specifically for gaming, I know many potential buyers are curious about its gaming capabilities. So read this as a guide to what you can expect if you’re considering this device.
Test Environment
The model tested today is the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air with the following specifications:
- CPU: M4 (10-core)
- GPU: 10-core
- Memory: 16GB
This is one step above the base model, but still features a passive cooling system with no fans.
Native Mac Gaming Performance
League of Legends
Some popular games already run smoothly on Mac. For League of Legends, there’s been a significant development: Riot Games announced official support for Apple’s Metal graphics engine. Previously, the game ran on the older OpenGL graphics engine with frame drops, but now it automatically runs on Metal, delivering much higher frame rates.
These less demanding games run comfortably on the fanless M4 MacBook Air without thermal concerns.
Tip: When gaming on Mac, be sure to turn off mouse acceleration! Unlike Windows, Mac has this feature enabled by default, which can make gameplay feel awkward.
App Store Games
Many games have recently appeared on the Mac App Store.
FIFA Soccer runs at a decent frame rate at Full HD resolution. With well-optimized settings, you can enjoy a smooth gaming experience.
Palworld has also been released for Mac, and with some settings compromises, 60fps gameplay is possible. On the 13-inch screen, slightly lowering the resolution doesn’t significantly impact visual quality, and activating Metal FX upscaling noticeably improves frame rates.
What’s impressive is that even after gaming for over an hour, there were no frame drops, and the external temperature remained below 45°C. Considering it’s a fanless laptop, this performance is truly remarkable.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The recently released Assassin’s Creed Shadows is notable for its simultaneous Mac and Windows launch. However, on the M4 MacBook Air, graphic detail options are limited and forced to the “lowest” setting.
It maintains around 30fps at 1080p resolution, and the developers have stated that their target frame rate for the Mac version is 30fps. When locked at 30fps, the gaming experience is relatively smooth, but the external temperature rose to 48°C, revealing the limitations of the fanless design.
Windows Game Compatibility: CrossOver and Wine
The primary method for running Windows games on Mac is using Wine technology, which converts Windows program commands into something Mac or Linux can understand.
Among these options, CrossOver is optimized for macOS environments, allowing relatively stable execution of Windows games. Recently, the development of the free alternative ‘Whisky’ was discontinued, making paid CrossOver currently the most stable choice.
The latest version of CrossOver features enhanced DirectX 12 support, making more games compatible. The installation process is also simple, with just a few clicks to automatically install Steam and necessary files.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is listed as “perfectly functional” in CrossOver, and it indeed runs quite well. Activating FSR upscaling technology enhances frames further, making gameplay possible when locked at 30fps.
Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to be officially released for Mac soon, which should provide even better performance.
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Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M4 chip, 16GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD Storage – Silver Buy on Amazon |
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 can also run through CrossOver. By lowering all graphic options to minimum, reducing resolution, and activating FSR, gameplay at around 30fps was possible. Online mode was also accessible.
There were occasional screen glitches due to FSR, but the fact that a fanless MacBook Air can run Red Dead Redemption 2 is impressive in itself.
Limitations
The biggest limitation of CrossOver is compatibility with anti-cheat programs. Games requiring anti-cheat, like Valorant, are difficult to play on Mac until officially supported by developers.
Additionally, running games through CrossOver comes with performance losses compared to native versions, so we hope more games will be released natively for Mac in the future.
Comparison with M4 Mac Mini
For reference, when testing the same games on an M4 Pro Mac Mini with 48GB of memory, they ran at 60fps even with higher graphic options. The advantage of having a fan-equipped device was clearly evident.
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Apple 2024 Mac mini Desktop Computer |
Conclusion
While the gaming performance of the M4 MacBook Air still falls short compared to Windows laptops, it has notably improved from previous generations. It’s particularly impressive that this level of performance comes from a basic MacBook without even a fan.
If previously we would have said “don’t even dream of gaming on a Mac,” now we can say “gaming is a bonus, and you can enjoy several games quite adequately.”
Macs are already highly regarded as work computers, and if they continue to improve in the gaming arena, consumer satisfaction will increase significantly.
Recommended Games List (Compatible with M4 MacBook Air)
Native Mac Games
- League of Legends
- FIFA Soccer
- Palworld
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- World of Warcraft – Blizzard’s popular MMORPG, optimized for Mac
- Diablo 4 – Recently officially released for Mac
- The Sims 4 – EA’s life simulation game, runs stably on Mac
- Civilization VI – Turn-based strategy game, well-optimized for Mac
- Stardew Valley – Popular farming simulation game
- Minecraft – Java version runs without issues on Mac
- Dota 2 – Valve’s MOBA game, can run on medium settings on M4
- Counter-Strike 2 – Valve’s FPS game, can run on low settings
Mac App Store Games
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom’s horror game, recently released for Mac
- Death Stranding Director’s Cut – Kojima Productions’ open-world game
- BioShock Remastered – Remastered version of the popular FPS game
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 – FPS game
- Metro Exodus – Post-apocalyptic FPS game
Games Playable via CrossOver
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Open-world RPG, can run on medium-low settings
- Skyrim – Bethesda’s open-world RPG
- Fallout 4 – Post-apocalyptic open-world RPG
- GTA V – Rockstar’s open-world game, can run at about 30fps on low settings
- Elden Ring – FromSoftware’s open-world RPG, possible on low settings but with performance limitations
- Street Fighter 6 – Capcom’s fighting game
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Hogwarts Legacy – RPG game set in the Harry Potter universe
Gaming via Cloud Services
Games that exceed the hardware capabilities of the M4 can be played through cloud gaming services:
- NVIDIA GeForce Now – Accessible through a browser
- Xbox Cloud Gaming – Accessible through a browser, requires Game Pass subscription
- Amazon Luna – Available in certain regions including the US
Precautions
- Games run through CrossOver may not be compatible with the latest updates or certain features
- Online games requiring anti-cheat (Valorant, PUBG, Apex Legends, etc.) are difficult to run
- Since the M4 MacBook Air has no fan, prolonged high-performance gaming may lead to thermal throttling
The performance of the M4 chip continues to improve, and the Mac gaming ecosystem is steadily growing, so we can expect more games to become playable on Mac in the future.