This factory-building strategy game topped the sales charts on Steam for years, even as an Early Access game. Factorio was eventually released a couple of years ago and remains a fan-favorite among real-time strategy fans.
Factorio has always offered good macOS support, but developer Wube Software just stepped it up a notch by offering native support for M1 Macs! So, how well can your Mac run Factorio? Does it run much better on M1 Macs?
Can you play Factorio on Mac?
You can absolutely play Factorio on your Mac, and that includes Intel and M1 Models. In fact, Factorio is one of the few AAA games that support M1 Macs with a native ARM Apple Silicon version.
Factorio just received native Apple Silicon recently as part of version 1.1.7.1, released on November 4, 2022:
Optimizations: Added native support for M1 Macs.
It is worth mentioning that it has been possible to run Minecraft natively on M1 Macs for a while now
Bottom line: Factorio used to run just fine on macOS, including MacBook Airs and Mac Minis, but to receive a native Apple Silicon version is always great, as it future-proofs the game and provides M1 and M2 Macs a boost in performance. More on that below.
| Art | Game | Genre | 64-bit? | 64-bit | API | M1 Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Factorio | Strategy | Yes |  | OpenGL | Native |
Factorio on Mac: Everything you need to know
In Factorio, you land on an alien planet and have to build and maintain factories to survive and fight off alien enemies. You’ll have to mine resources, research technologies, build infrastructure, and automate production. Featuring a top-down view and simplistic graphics, Factorio is all about the perfectly tuned mechanics and systems you can put in place to build impressive factories.
Factorio has over 106,000 Overwhelmingly Positive user reviews on Steam and having played it myself, I can tell you it’s really good. It’s no surprise the game is considered an indie sensation in the same vein as Kerbal Space Program or Prison Architect. In fact, some consider it one of the greatest strategy games available today.
Factorio Mac requirements
These are the game’s official Mac requirements:
| Requirements | |
| OS: | macOS Catalina |
| Processor: | 3 GHz Dual Core |
| Memory: | 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics: | 2012 Mac |
| Hard Drive: | 3 GB |
| 1080p resolution | |
How to play Factorio on Mac
As mentioned before, Factorio now runs natively on Mac, and that includes Intel-based and M1 Macs. Therefore, we won’t waste your time talking about Parallels, Crossover (both excellent tools, but only useful for Windows-exclusive games…), or Streaming services (this has to be said, as some guides spend entire pages talking about streaming WoW on Mac).
Can YOUR Mac run Factorio? Benchmarks!
These are the Rust M1 benchmarks we have gathered so far (you can find more details about the game’s Apple Silicon version here):
| Game | Machine | Resolution | Settings | Other | FPS | Tester | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rust | 💻 M1 MacBook Pro 13", 8-core GPU, 8 GB | 1920x1080 | Max | 30 | MrMacRight | ||
| Rust | 💻 M1 MacBook Air 13", 7-core GPU, 8 GB | 1920x1080 | Max | 20 | Apple Silicon DB |
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.
Can my Mac run Factorio?
As can be expected from a top-down strategy game with simple graphics, Factorio is a very forgiving game with low system requirements. I have played this game on a plane on an old 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro with integrated graphics, and the game always ran great.
But as reported by some players, the update does bring a significant performance improvement for M1 and M2 Macs:
| Benchmarks: | flame_sla 10k | flame_sla 30k | Stevetrov’s 40x1k |
| Rosetta 2: | 127 UPS | 38.2 UPS | 34.2 UPS |
| Native: | 157 UPS | 47 UPS | 40 UPS |
As you can see from these benchmarks, the improvements are noticeable (20%+ UPS).
Factorio Mac download
You can download Factorio on Steam.
How can I run Factorio native on M1? I have the newest version from Factorio on steam an I can only play the rosetta version. When Factorio runs I see an CPU tasks “Intel” instead of “Apple”.