When Apple announced Metal for macOS it promised a new era in Mac gaming performance.
Unfortunately, several years passed before we saw any noticeable benefits. In fact, Metal’s release led to several companies willingly delaying their Mac ports in order to wait until the API was mature enough to implement.
But since the Spring of 2017, the wait was finally over and an avalanche of both AAA and excellent independent macOS Metal games quickly followed.
And with the confirmation that Apple has deprecated OpenGL, Metal is clearly the future of Mac gaming.
Without further ado, here is the definitive list of every macOS Metal games available today.
| Name | - | Game | Developer | Genre | 64-bit? | API | M1 Support | Performance | Benchmarks | M1 Support? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt 8 |  | Asphalt 8 | Gameloft | Racing | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | Native | |
| Asphalt 9 |  | Asphalt 9 | Gameloft | Racing | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | Native | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 |  | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios | RPG | Yes | Metal | Native | Good |  | Native |
| Disco Elysium |  | Disco Elysium | ZA/UM | RPG | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | | Native |
| Pascal's Wager: Definitive Edition |  | Pascal's Wager: Definitive Edition | TipsWorks | RPG | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | Native | |
| Spacebase Startopia |  | Spacebase Startopia | Realmforge Studios | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | Native | |
| World of Warcraft |  | World of Warcraft | Blizzard | MMO | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | | Native |
| World of Warcraft: Classic |  | World of Warcraft: Classic | Blizzard | MMO | Yes | Metal | Native | Good | Native | |
| Among Us |  | Among Us | InnerSloth | Party | Yes | Metal | iOS | Good | | iOS |
| Pokemon Quest |  | Pokemon Quest | Game Freak | Adventure | Yes | Metal | iOS | Good | | iOS |
| A Total War Saga: Troy |  | A Total War Saga: Troy | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Batman: Arkham City |  | Batman: Arkham City | Feral Interactive | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| BATTLETECH |  | BATTLETECH | Harebrained Schemes | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Rosetta | ||
| Beyond A Steel Sky |  | Beyond A Steel Sky | Revolution Software | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Bioshock 2 Remastered |  | Bioshock 2 Remastered | Feral Interactive | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| BioShock Remastered |  | BioShock Remastered | Feral Interactive | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Borderlands 2 |  | Borderlands 2 | Gearbox Software | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Borderlands 3 |  | Borderlands 3 | Gearbox Software | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 |  | Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 | Aspyr Media | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Civilization 5 |  | Civilization 5 | Aspyr Media | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Company of Heroes 2 |  | Company of Heroes 2 | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Cuphead |  | Cuphead | StudioMDHR | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Desperados 3 |  | Desperados 3 | Mimimi Games | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided |  | Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | Feral Interactive | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Diablo 3 |  | Diablo 3 | Blizzard | RPG | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| DiRT 4 |  | DiRT 4 | Feral Interactive | Racing | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| DiRT Rally |  | DiRT Rally | Feral Interactive | Racing | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Divinity: Original Sin 2 |  | Divinity: Original Sin 2 | Larian Studios | RPG | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Everspace |  | Everspace | ROCKFISH Games | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| F1 2016 |  | F1 2016 | Feral Interactive | Racing | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| F1 2017 |  | F1 2017 | Feral Interactive | Racing | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Farming Simulator 22 |  | Farming Simulator 22 | Giants Software | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Fishing Planet |  | Fishing Planet | Fishing Planet LLC | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Football Manager 2021 |  | Football Manager 2021 | Sports Interactive | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Fortnite |  | Fortnite | Epic Games | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Frostpunk |  | Frostpunk | 11 bit studios | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | | Rosetta |
| Hades |  | Hades | Supergiant Games | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Hearthstone |  | Hearthstone | Blizzard | CCD | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Hellpoint |  | Hellpoint | Cradle Games | RPG | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Hitman |  | Hitman | Feral Interactive | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| INSIDE |  | INSIDE | Playdead | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| League of Legends |  | League of Legends | Riot Games | MOBA | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| LEGO: The Incredibles |  | LEGO: The Incredibles | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Life is Strange 2 |  | Life is Strange 2 | Feral Interactive | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Metro: Exodus |  | Metro: Exodus | 4A Games | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Moto Racer 4 |  | Moto Racer 4 | Artefacts Studio | Racing | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Obduction |  | Obduction | Cyan Worlds | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Oxygen Not Included |  | Oxygen Not Included | Klei | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker |  | Pathfinder: Kingmaker | Owlcat Games | RPG | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Phoenix Point |  | Phoenix Point | Snapshot Games | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Rosetta | ||
| Planet Coaster |  | Planet Coaster | Aspyr | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider |  | Rise of the Tomb Raider | Feral Interactive | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Rust |  | Rust | Facepunch Studios | Survival | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| Shadow of The Tomb Raider |  | Shadow of The Tomb Raider | Feral Interactive | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Slime Rancher |  | Slime Rancher | Monomi Park | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Starcraft 2 |  | Starcraft 2 | Blizzard | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Poor | Rosetta | |
| Subnautica |  | Subnautica | Unknown Worlds Entertainment | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| SUPERHOT |  | SUPERHOT | SUPERHOT Team | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete |  | SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete | SUPERHOT Team | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut |  | The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut | inXile entertainment | RPG | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| The Long Dark |  | The Long Dark | Hinterland Studio | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| The Pathless |  | The Pathless | Giant Squid | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| The Sims 2 |  | The Sims 2 | Aspyr Media | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Crashes | Rosetta | |
| The Sims 4 |  | The Sims 4 | Maxis | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | | Rosetta |
| The Witness |  | The Witness | Thekla | Adventure | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Tomb Raider |  | Tomb Raider | Feral Interactive | Action | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Total War: ROME REMASTERED |  | Total War: ROME REMASTERED | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms |  | Total War: Three Kingdoms | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Total War: Warhammer |  | Total War: Warhammer | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Total War: Warhammer 2 |  | Total War: Warhammer 2 | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Totally Accurate Battle Simulator |  | Totally Accurate Battle Simulator | Landfall | Simulation | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Tropico 6 |  | Tropico 6 | Limbic Entertainment | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Untitled Goose Game |  | Untitled Goose Game | House House | Puzzle | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Warcraft 3 Reforged |  | Warcraft 3 Reforged | Blizzard | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Good | Rosetta | |
| Wasteland 3 |  | Wasteland 3 | inXile Entertainment | RPG | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| XCOM 2 |  | XCOM 2 | Feral Interactive | Strategy | Yes | Metal | Rosetta | Average | Rosetta | |
| Arma 3 |  | Arma 3 | Bohemia Interactive | Shooter | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | Unsupported | |
| EVE Online |  | EVE Online | CCP | MMO | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | Unsupported | |
| Gravel |  | Gravel | Milestone | Racing | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | Unsupported | |
| Mafia 3 |  | Mafia 3 | Aspyr Media | Action | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | Unsupported | |
| MXGP3 |  | MXGP3 | Milestone | Racing | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | Unsupported | |
| Observer |  | Observer | Aspyr Media | Horror | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | Unsupported | |
| War Thunder |  | War Thunder | Gaijin Entertainment | MMO | Yes | Metal | Unsupported | Crashes | | Unsupported |
Your Turn
And there you have it. As of publication, this seems to be the comprehensive list of Metal games for Mac. And worry not, as soon as Metal games appear, we will update this list accordingly.
Metal is finally delivering on its promise of improved graphics performance for Mac gamers, and game developers seem all on board.
Granted, there have been disappointments down the road, such as Firewatch. Winning praise for just about everything, Firewatch was a surprise hit with Metal support planned and very publicly advertised during Apple’s 2015 WWDC conference. Unfortunately, publisher Panic decided to drop Metal support…
Luckily, many other developers and publishers have supported Metal since, proving Firewatch was the exception and not the rule.
The only downside with Metal? If you keep your Macs as long as I do, it’s time to start saving for an upgrade as more and more games will require Metal support, leaving anything more than 5 years old, and even some Macs that are newer than that, out in the cold.
Thanks, this is a great post for a new Mac gamer.
Does using Metal mean that all these games are 64-bit executables and won’t be affected by Apple’s 32 bit cull in a year or two?
I can’t say authoritatively yes, but it seems like it must be so as Metal requires 64 bit.
It’s a great post indeed, Steve here certainly got the job done 😉
Gee, I’m blushing. 🙂
Thanks for the information. I am running a 2017 iMac on Sierra. It appears that the Blizzard stable of games are detected as 32 bit applications and not 64-bit as is the case with Windows and even in Bootcamp.
Another issue is that High Sierra seems to be killing support for gaming platforms e.g. Steam. What can be done to remedy this, please?
Honest question: how is steam support being killed off? Massive worry if so!
The new APFS file system is causing issues with many gaming platforms (not just Steam) but I don’t see this a killing everything – developers are actively working to solve this as losing Mac games would kill a lot of their revenue.
Not sure I follow, never seen a sign that Steam is in peril. And if there was ever an issue with 32-bit etc, I’m certain Steam will make sure they support 64 bit to live on.
Have you read anything specific about this? I’d be very curious!
we need more people publishing more articles like this ,like Steven Marx did and I wish he have a twitter for people to follow his latest update
this is essential for die hard apple users like me whom hellbent on playing games running on apple metal only which fully utilise the potential rendering power of my iMac pro
Fully agree with you and lucky you, he does have Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenmarx
Virtual C64 is on the list, yay!
Gotta play jumpman junior at max speed with Metal2! Ha, ha, ha.
Good to see someone commenting on that, as we debated whether it belonged on the list as it’s technically not a game of course. Enjoy your frame rates. 🙂
With regards Metal requirements, do I understand correctly that it will run on a 2012 Mac Mini with Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics with 1GB shared DDR3 memory, but not on a 2010 Mac Pro with an AMD Radeon HD 7950 with 3GB dedicated GDDR5 memory?
It’s not so much “it will run on” as which Macs support Metal, and unfortunately Metal support only goes back to 2012 Macs at best. So yes, you’re correct a late 2012 Mac mini supports Metal but not a 2010 Mac Pro.
Dawn of War 3 is on the list but what about Dawn of War 2? I played this and runs very well on my iMac 2013 so I think Dawn of War 2 is also support Metal. If I wrong?
I am an OPENGL user. I will not develop any METAL-based games for MAC, which is impossible. This has no meaning or value. It is a waste of time to learn useless things.
BioShock Remastered uses OpenGL to render, not Metal, as evidenced by how the Metal Performance HUD does not work on it.
I’m pretty certain I saw somewhere that Metal support was confirmed…. But you make a good point there, I need to double check
Sorry, it may actually be Metal. It does import the Metal framework. Apparently it’s just possible depending on how a game engine runs to prevent the Metal HUD from working. I wish Apple could weigh in on the subject to be sure. Or maybe Feral Interactive could report on what their port may be doing differently to break the HUD.