Best M1 MacBook Air Games in 2023

The days when Macs were left out of the gaming industry are almost over. Apple Silicon has gotten pretty beefy, and you can try many entertaining games on your nifty and light little MacBook Air.

Whether you’re looking for a spectacular and enchanting indie adventure or casual cookie-clicker fun, the MacBook Air’s got you covered these days. With the M1 now getting significantly cheaper, it is a value pickup for many students and professionals. Because of this, we’ve got a list of the best MacBook Air M1 games you can play right now.

Our Selection Criteria

Before we get into the games themselves, here’s a quick overview of our reasoning and logic behind selecting these M1 MacBook Air games:

• Casual Nature: The MacBook Air isn’t here to replace a gaming PC. So, we’ve refrained from adding in huge, narratively driven, demanding games and instead focused on more casual games that still have depth to them.
• Performance: The M1 is a great machine but doesn’t always run games at the smoothest of framerates. So, we’ve only included games that provide at least 30 FPS.
• Reviews and Acclaim: Most of these games have popular PC versions, and all of the games in this list are well-received and liked by players. So, we haven’t placed games that we feel aren’t ones that we would play if we had an alternative.

Our absolute favorites:

Game	★ Best Overall	Great-Looking	Best Value
	The Sims 4	Borderlands 2	Hearthstone
Genre	Simulation	Shooter	Collectible Cards
Developer	Maxis	Gearbox Software	Blizzard
Metascore	70	89	84
Our rating	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Check Price	Official Site	Steam	Official Site

💡 And if you’d prefer something entirely different, this 100 Best Mac games guide covers the most popular games across all genres.

Best MacBook Games for the M1 Air

The Sims 4

Tired of living your own life, taking care of yourself, and dealing with responsibilities? Now, you can do it with a virtual character. Cue in EA’s The Sims 4, where you can create a plethora of custom characters.

Sims can be given their personality types, aspirations, and goals and can learn new skill sets. The game was released back in 2014 and is still going strong with multiple paid DLC packs and updates with EA.

You could easily sink tens or hundreds of hours into the Sims 4 without getting bored because there are tons of things to do. Though your Sims might go wonky at times and die in self-started fires, it all comes down to natural selection in the end.

System requirements: macOS 10.11 or later, Intel Core i5 or better Processor, NVIDIA GTX 650 or better Video, 8 GB RAM, 18 GB of Hard Drive space.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	The Sims 4	Simulation	Yes		Metal	Rosetta	Good

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Hearthstone

Hearthstone is a card-based strategy game that was developed by Blizzard back in 2014. A card game by nature, it hopped into the digital space and took the world by storm. While there are tons of copy-cats out there, and the game isn’t quite the juggernaut that it used to be–it’s still the king of digital CCGs and still worth all the salt.

But why is that so? That’s because Hearthstone keeps things simple. The core mechanics of the game are intuitive and easy to grasp–new MacBook Air gamers won’t feel so out of touch or out of their depth.

New MacBook Hearthstone players can try out the easy tutorial challenges to get the hang of the game and make their way to multiplayer. And you’ll enjoy it. That’s because the whole novelty of the card interaction system, with spells whizzing around and mana crystals popping in and out of the screen, keeps you engaged. Hearthstone has lots of charm, and even after almost a decade and many copy-cats, it’s still worth a try.

System requirementsmacOS 10.14, Intel Core i3 Processor, NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT or ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro Video, 4 GB RAM, 8 GB available HD space.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	Hearthstone	CCD	Yes		Metal	Rosetta	Good

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Borderlands 2

Moving over to something heavier on the visual side of things, Borderlands 2 steps into the forefront with your loot and shoot gameplay that takes inspiration from tons of RPGs. You get your usual dose of character customization, classes, unique abilities, and more.

And if you’re concerned if the MacBook Air can handle it–you’d be surprised. Borderlands 2 runs like butter on the Apple MacBook Air M1. Borderlands 2 is a direct sequel to the initial installment and takes place shortly after the first.

While the main story scratches your usual itch, the side quests take things up a notch, with up to 30 hours of game time. Just make sure to charge up your MacBook Air once in a while.

System requirements: macOS 10.12.6 or newer, 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4 GB RAM, Intel HD 3000 Graphics, 13 GB Hard Disk Space.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	Borderlands 2	Shooter	Yes		Metal	Rosetta	Average

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Streets of Rogue

While the game shares a funny spin on a side-scroller that we’ve come to know and love, Streets of Rogue is a Roguelike RPG that steps into the limelight with some fun challenges and a bit of perverse humor.

The game is full of humorous gags with meta-jokes and stupidity all tied into one chaotic package. It’s pretty hard to manage comedy with game design, but Streets of Rogue manages to do a fantastic job.

You’re given control of a character with a top-down view in a pixelated world where one hit means instant death. The world throws tons of quirks and charms at you, with banana peels acting as weapons and chicken nuggets being a major plot point–somehow.

System requirements:macOS 10.9, Intel Dual-Core Processor, 2 GB RAM, 300 MB available space.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	Streets of Rogue	Action	Yes		TBC	Rosetta	Good

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Undertale

Undertale was released on Mac OSX and Windows back in 2015 and safe to say, it’s stood the test of time. Undertale is one of those RPG titles that you could revisit and unlock multiple endings.

As a standard RPG, enemies have health bars; you can use weapons, too. But there are other ways to whittle down your enemy’s will to fight. You can take the pacifist route, talk your way out of things, and show your enemy’s mercy.

At its core, Undertale is a pixelated game that goes far and beyond with character development and storytelling to the point you’d be left speechless with whichever ending you get. It’s an experience of its own, and the best part is that you can easily play it on your MacBook Air when your productivity goes down the drain.

System requirements: macOS, 2 GB RAM.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	Undertale	RPG	Yes		OpenGL	Rosetta	Good

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League of Legends

If you value your time and like to live a productive life–then League of Legends isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking to sink hours upon hours learning hundreds of characters, climbing ELO ranks, and dumping money into virtual skins–a daunting MOBA with a toxic yet competitive player base, League just might cut it for you. And the best part is that it now runs on your MacBook Air.

League of Legends is one of the biggest free-to-play games that is still kicking it even five years later. You get to choose from an awesome assortment of champions and blaze through rewarding progression systems. The gameplay is incredibly strategic and will keep any user hooked if played for too long.

But what keeps League players going? Even though you play on the same few maps and use similar items, there are tons of characters to choose from–with their signature abilities. There are tons of depth and strategy to account for that no League match ever feels the same. At the end of it, League of Legends is incredibly satisfying to play once you get the hang of it.

System requirements: macOS 10.13.6, Intel Core i5-750 Processor, Intel HD 4600 Integrated Graphics, 2GB RAM.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	League of Legends	MOBA	Yes		Metal	Rosetta	Good

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Brawlhalla

If you’re looking for the MacBook equivalent of Super Smash Bros., Brawlhalla throws you into a cartoony beat ’em’ up game that oozes charm and dazzles you with generous amounts of content.

It’s a free-to-play game with an addictive combat system, but you’ll have to shell out a bit of money to unlock the wealth of content Brawlhalla’s Battle Pass has to offer.

At the end of it all, Brawlhalla takes a fresh take on fighting games and features a colorful roster of original and licensed characters. And you can even manage cross-play with your Mac, console, and PC friends–unlike Super Smash Bros. closed-off ecosystem.

💡 We also have a complete installation guide alongside the latest benchmarks for Brawlhalla on the Mac right here!

System requirements: macOS 10.7, 2 GB RAM, 800 MB available space

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	Brawlhalla	Action	Yes		OpenGL	Rosetta	Good

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Factorio

Factorio has been recently updated by Wube Software for macOS and runs like butter on the newer Apple Silicon. That might also be in part because of the relativity low graphical requirements of the game.

While it packs a punch with its extremely abhorrent learning curve as you try to keep your factory afloat and safe from all the nasties of the environment, it’s ultimately a satisfying game. You get a true sense of ownership in trying to keep your factory up and running as you sap the life out of the planet and its resources.

System requirements: macOS Catalina or higher, 3Ghz
Dual Core Processor, 4 GB RAM, 3 GB available space.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	Factorio	Strategy	Yes		OpenGL	Native	Excellent

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World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is one of those few titles that features Apple M1 support straight out the door, and Blizzard has made sure to optimize the heck out of the game. On default settings, you can easily expect to get 60+ FPS in the Shadowlands. And if you tone the settings down to 6, you can still run the game with a consistent 90 FPS.

Blizzard’s 18-year-old MMO is still kicking it with a familiar roster of characters. You get to pick a few new factions in the new Shadowlands regardless if you stand with the Horde or Alliance. You’ll need to spend a solid few levels to learn the ins and outs of the new area. The game still lives up to the zone design, music, and character-building Blizzard is known for.

System requirements:  macOS 10.12, Intel Core i5-760 Processor, 2 GB Video RAM and Metal support, 4 GB RAM, 70GB available space.

Art	Game	Genre	64-bit?	64-bit	API	M1 Support	Performance
	World of Warcraft	MMO	Yes		Metal	Native	Good

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NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition

Ready to play ball? NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition takes the cake with its standalone arcade mode. You get to choose from a roster of NBA Draft players. It’s a fun game to check out if you’re a basketball enthusiast who wants to shoot some hoops in the off-season of your workflow schedule.

But how does it run on newer Apple Silicon? Like a breeze. NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition is incredibly optimized for Apple M1 silicon, allowing NBA fans to enjoy some spiffy physics, engaging visuals, and life-like player models on a thin MacBook Air.

System requirements:macOS 11.0 or later,4GB RAM, 7GB available space.

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Before you go…

Looking for more games suitable for MacBooks and MacBook Airs? Check out our 2020 M1 MacBook Air Gaming benchmarks.