Yes, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive runs on M1 Macs via Rosetta 2.
[toc] Counter-Strike: Global Offensive shouldn’t need an introduction.
Counter-Strike single-handedly shaped competitive first-person shooters into what they are today. And Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, is the improved and refined sequel that is now free-to-play and gets better every year.
More M1 gaming? Visit our M1 Supported Games list for 100+ Mac games we have tested and confirmed as M1-compatible.
| Art | Game | Genre | 64-bit? | 64-bit | API | M1 Support |
|---|
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive M1 Mac support
Yes, Counter-Strike: GO runs on M1 Macs with Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2.
Last Updated: Oct 28, 2021:
Launch issues: CS: GO is currently having issues that prevent it from going past the intro cut-scene.
To resolve them:
- Go to the game’s Properties on Steam:
- and paste the following code in Launch options: “-w 800 -h 600 -refresh 60”:
The game was tested on the following M1 Mac:
- 13-inch MacBook Air (2020): Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU, 8 GB RAM
As you can see below, the game is still exclusively written for Intel-based Macs, but thanks to Rosetta 2, CS: GO 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.
Tested versions:
- MacBook Air: MacOS Big Sur version 11.1
- CS: GO: Content release date: Jan 29, 2021
Counter-Strike M1 Mac benchmarks
These are the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive M1 benchmarks we have gathered so far:
| Game | Machine | Resolution | Settings | Other | FPS | Tester | Source |
|---|
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 smooth and fluid experience for most casual gamers.
M1 Performance VS Intel Macs
This is how CS: GO runs on M1 Macs compared to equivalent Intel Macs:
| Benchmarks | 2020 M1 MacBook Air | 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro | Difference |
| Medium Settings & 800p | 70 FPS | 39 FPS | +79% |
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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Mac requirements
These are the game’s official Mac requirements:
| Mac Requirements | |
| OS: | 10.11 |
| Processor: | 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo |
| Memory: | 2 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | ATI Radeon HD 2400, NVidia 8600M or better |
| Hard Drive: | 15 GB |
PS: Graphics requirements may demand a dedicated graphics card, but we have successfully tested the game on several Macs with integrated graphics in the past.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Mac: The Reviews
Developer Valve has always been a big macOS supporter and their CS: GO Mac version is proof of that. The Mac version of the game has exactly the features as the Windows version, including cross-platform multiplayer.
Counter-Strike: GO has been around for a long time now, but make no mistake, it continues to receive major updates every year and is still considered one of the best first-person shooters available today:
85% Reviews
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Mac download
You can download CS: GO from the following digital stores:
And more importantly, if you have your own M1 test results to share, on this game or another, please share them with us using this form.
How to enable Resetta 2 on Mac with Apple Silicon when running CSGO?
Can anyone help with issue with “CSGO OSX64 closed unexpectedly” ?
Hello, did you manage to solve this problem?
rosetta automatically runs in the background, the first time you’re prompted to download it or run it but after that you are never aware that it’s running
I have a problem with keyboards on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 14 inch. I put all settings as default, but in the game when I press the “Space” instead of jumping it is doing nothing, after many times pressing the space button it starts to shot with the gun. “Tab” for scoreboard is not showing anything. If someone faced with such a problems could you please share the solution,
thank you in advance and have more kills on CS))
I have played CS with 0 problems on M1 Mac with 0 problems. I suggest you check your keybinds in your settings. If not, unbind every key with console and bind them again
M2 Max has been delivering superb results above around FPS constantly with CSGO, you might need to check and try few different display settings but even with higher setting with newer M2 chips, especially with M2 Max you should be able to get above 60+ FPS on CS:GO and many other popular games. Finally Macs are transitioning into gaming platforms and playing on them can be very entertaining. M1 Ultra is also a beast, but somehow recent scores and tests showed on most games M2 Max can outperform or perform very closely to M1 Ultra.
I’m not sure if it can or not, but I’m going to give it a try.