Civilization 6 on M1 Mac: Can it run on Apple Silicon Processors?

Yes, Civilization 6 runs on M1 Macs via Rosetta 2.

[toc] The latest entry in the legendary Sid Meier’s Civilization series, Civ 6 is not only the best turn-based strategy game out there, but it’s also one of the best strategy games, period.

On Intel-Macs, it used to struggle due to the lack of Metal support and high CPU loads. But can M1 Macs do a better job running it?

More M1 gaming? Visit our M1 Supported Games list for 100+ Mac games we have tested and confirmed as M1-compatible.

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Civilization 6 M1 Mac support

Yes, Civilization 6 runs on M1 Macs with Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2.

Last Updated: Oct 29, 2021:

The game is still written for Intel-based Macs, but thanks to Rosetta 2, Civilization 6 can nonetheless run great on M1 Macs.

What is Rosetta 2? Rosetta 2 is a translation process that enables an M1 Mac with Apple silicon to use apps built for Intel-based Macs.

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Civilization 6 M1 Mac benchmarks

The table summarizes our results as well as results from other members of the community:

As a reminder, this is how we describe the different levels of performance:

• Below 20 FPS: Unplayable: Laggy gameplay, full of stutters and slowdowns.
• 20-30 FPS: Borderline: Can be OK in slow-paced games. Still, not optimal.
• 30-45 FPS: Playable: Acceptable for most (most gaming consoles do this).
• 45-60 FPS: Smooth: Fluid gameplay, with no perceivable stutters.
• 60+ FPS: Very Smooth: For hardcore and professional players, a luxury for most.

We usually aim for 30 FPS, because 30 FPS is enough to guarantee a fluid experience for most casual gamers.

Tested versions:

For our in-house benchmarks, the game was tested on the following M1 Mac:

• 13-inch MacBook Air (2020): Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU, 8 GB RAM
• OS: macOS Big Sur version 11.4

M1 Performance VS Intel Macs

This is how Civilization VI runs on M1 Macs compared to equivalent Intel Macs:

Benchmarks	2020 M1 MacBook Air	2016 13-inch MacBook Pro	Difference
Medium Settings & 800p	53 FPS	12.5 FPS	+76.4%

Submit & Request M1 results

To take our M1 benchmarks and compatibility tests to the next level, we definitely need your support!

If you’re interested in testing games on your own M1 Mac or request specific games, you can join our dedicated Discord server.

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Civilization 6 Mac requirements

These are the game’s official Mac requirements:

Minimum Requirements
OS:	10.12.6
Processor:	2.7 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory:	6 GB RAM
Graphics:	GeForce 775M, Radeon HD 6970, or Intel Iris Pro
Hard Drive:	16 GB
64-bit processor and operating system required

Civ 6 on Mac: The Reviews

Civ 6 has been part of the best-selling Mac games for years now. And the fact it continues to receive excellent Expansions keeps it relevant and as popular as ever. Aside from recurrent issues that keep cross-play between Mac and Windows, Civ 6 is an excellent Mac port that features everything the Windows version of the game does.

With gameplay and features so far ahead of the competition, it’s no surprise Civ 6 has been critically acclaimed by both the press and the average gamer:

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Civilization 6 Mac download

You can download Civilization 6 from the following digital stores:

• Humble Bundle
• Steam

And more importantly, if you have your own M1 test results to share, on this game or another, you can share them with us on our dedicated Discord server.