Apple’s new M1 processors are finally here, and as expected, they are much more powerful than the current Intel-based Macs.
What was unexpected, though, is how much more powerful they actually are. Depending on your usage, you could expect 5 to 10 times better performance and better battery life.
Apple made good on its promise that their M1 processors would revolutionize the Mac. But if you’re here, you’re probably wondering: What about gaming?
The community has been hard at work this past week, performing and sharing as many benchmarks as possible.
When it comes to Mac gaming on M1 processors, Thomas Schranz has been doing an excellent job compiling benchmarks on several games. You can find the Google Sheet here, for reference. Below, I highlight some of the most relevant (and verified) benchmarks available.
Mac M1 games: How well do they run
The results speak for themselves, but if you just want the main takeaways, there are 2 things to keep in mind:
- Macs with M1 processors are head and shoulders above Macs with integrated Intel graphics
- Macs with beefy dedicated graphics cards (such as iMacs and 16-inch MacBook Pros) remain better at playing video games
These are some of the top benchmarks performed so far:
| Games | Compatibility | Resolution | FPS | Settings | Specs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Batman: Arkham City | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 60 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Bioshock 2: Remastered | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 60 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Borderlands 2 | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 45 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Borderlands 3 | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 22.97 | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Civilization 5 | Rosetta | 2560x1440 | 60 FPS | Default | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Cuphead | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 60 FPS | Default | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 24 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 DiRT Rally | Rosetta | 2560x1600 | 30 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 DOTA 2 | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 45 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Dying Light | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 45 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Firewatch | Rosetta | 2560x1440 | 45-50 FPS | Low Quality | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 House Flipper | Rosetta | 2560x1440 | 25 FPS | Default (Medium-ish) | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Inside | Rosetta | 2560x1440 | 60 FPS | N/A | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 League of Legends | Rosetta | 2560x1600 | 60 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Air M1 8GB |
| League of Legends | Rosetta | 1440x900 | 100+ FPS | Medium Quality Preset | MacBook Air M1 8GB |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 30 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Minecraft | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 100+ FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Monument Valley | Native | 1920x1080 | 60 FPS | Default | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Path of Exile | Rosetta | Does not work | - | - | MacBook Air M1 8GB |
 Prison Architect | Rosetta | 2560x1600 | 60 FPS | High DPI | MacBook Air M1 8GB |
 Rocket League | Rosetta | 2560x1440 | 60-65 FPS | Quality | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Rust | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 20 FPS | Highest Settings | MacBook Air M1 8GB |
 Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Rosetta | 1920x1200 | 20 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Air M1 16GB |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 25 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Rosetta | 1920x1200 | 38 FPS | Lowest Quality Preset | MacBook Air M1 16GB |
 Stardew Valley | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 60 FPS | Default | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 The Pathless | Rosetta | 1920x1080 | 40-60 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
 Total War: Three Kingdoms | Rosetta | 2560x1080 | 25-30 FPS | MacBook Pro 13" M1 16GB | |
 World of Warcraft | Native | 1920x1080 | 45 FPS | Highest Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
| World of Warcraft | Native | 1920x1080 | 60 FPS | Medium Quality Preset | MacBook Pro 13" M1 8GB |
Your Turn
Are you interested in purchasing one of the new M1 Macs? Perhaps you already have one? If you do, let us know in the comments section! We’ll be compiling our own benchmarks soon too. If you want to be a part of it, let me know!
