How to Play PUBG: Battlegrounds on Mac: M1 and Intel Guide

Seeing how PUBG easily smashed Steam’s peak user record more than once, I’m sure you’ve wondered if PUBG for Mac will ever happen. After all, PUGB runs on Unreal Engine 4, the same engine used by another well-known Battle Royale game that does run on macOS. If Fortnite can do it, why can’t PUBG?

But this doesn’t mean you can’t play the game on your Mac at all. In this post, we’ll teach you how you can run PUBG: Battlegrounds on a Mac, including Intel and Apple Silicon models.

Can you play PUBG on Mac?

Despite not officially supporting macOS, PUBG: Battlegrounds can be played on Mac thanks to third-party tools: Streaming for Apple Silicon M1 Macs and Bootcamp on Intel Macs.

Some Windows-exclusive games can run quite well through Virtualization software, but at the time of writing, neither CrossOver nor Parallels can run PUBG on Mac. The game simply won’t launch, no matter what you try. The same happens on Parallels, whether you have an Intel or M1 Mac.

If you have an Intel Mac, you can still run PUBG through Bootcamp. If you have a newer M1 or M2 Mac, however, the only way you can run PUBG is via a streaming service, which is our least favorite method to run a Windows game on Mac and is usually our last resort… We cover the methods to play it below.

Is PUBG: Battlegrounds ever coming to Mac?

Why doesn’t PUBG support Mac? Such a question is usually left unanswered, but this time Brendan Green, the game’s creator himself, answered. In an interview at 2017’s Gamescom conference, Green said (translated using Google Chrome):

There’s just not enough Linux players. The same is true for Mac. We just do not have enough resources at the moment. Is not on the roadmap. I’m sorry.

And so it seems we will never be able to experience PUBG on Mac.

I usually don’t even write about games that could someday make it to macOS. Most developers don’t even take the time to acknowledge the Mac platform or reply to related questions; therefore, why bother writing about their games? This time is different. At least PUBG Corporation acknowledged that other platforms exist. Brendan Green himself did, and despite giving an answer we didn’t want to hear, there will be no more uncertainty surrounding it…

PUBG: Battlegrounds “Mac” requirements

Unless you go with a streaming solution, system requirements remain critical. Especially for a demanding game such as PUBG. You won’t be able to find official PUBG Mac requirements, but if you’re thinking about using Boot Camp, the game’s Windows requirements are still applicable:

How to play PUBG on Mac

While we prefer to run our games natively, some games are so good we are willing to boot Windows to play them. Valorant, Warzone 2, and Overwatch 2 come to mind, but PUBG is definitely one of those games too. But what is the best way to run it on Mac using Windows? 

But what is the best way to run PUBG on Mac using Windows? There are several methods at your disposal, each with its advantages and drawbacks:

PUBG on Intel Macs: Bootcamp

When it comes to running Windows games on Mac, performance and cost are the main drivers. For that reason, I prefer Boot Camp. Boot Camp is a free utility that allows you to install and run Windows on your Mac in the same way you would on any other computer: natively. But be aware that Boot Camp is currently unavailable for M1 Macs.

How to set it up? Installing Windows using Boot Camp is straightforward. You just need to open the Boot Camp application in your “Utilities” folder and follow the assistant. You can also check Apple’s support page for FAQs and guides on how to install and use Boot Camp.

Bottom line: If you absolutely want to play PUBG on an Intel Mac, you’ll want to use Boot Camp.

PUBG on M1 and M2 Macs

Unfortunately, neither Parallels nor CrossOver can run Valorant on an Apple Silicon Mac. This is due to the extremely aggressive anti-cheat system that flags all third-party apps as potential threats. Perhaps a future update will solve this, but for now, the only way you can play it is by using a streaming service. While we stay away from streaming services (because the experience is more expensive and is not as pleasant as simply running the game locally), they do work.

If you must play PUBG and only have an Apple Silicon Mac at your disposal, something like NVIDIA GeForce Now can get the job done. You can see NVIDIA GeForce Now and PUBG in action in this video:

But what if you’re not willing to deal with this? Are there worthy alternatives to PUBG on Mac?

Best Mac games like PUBG: Battlegrounds

We’ve covered the best FPS games for Mac before, but if I had to recommend a few, these are our favorites:

Game	★ Best Overall	Runner-Up	Best Value
	Borderlands 2	Metro: Exodus	Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Genre	Co-op	Survival Horror	Competitive
Release date	2012	2021	2015
Metascore	89	82	81
Our rating	★★★★★ Full Review	★★★★☆ Full review	★★★★☆
Requirements	✅ Not Demanding	⚠️ Demanding	✅ Not Demanding
Check Price	Humble Bundle	Check Price	Steam

But what if you’re looking specifically for a Battle Royale game? Worry not; there are a few excellent MacOS native options at your disposal:

Fortnite: Battle Royale

The king of Bottle Royale games and arguably the most famous game ever released, Fortnite is why most Mac gamers don’t even care about PUBG anymore. Fortnite is not only famous because of its unique take on the genre (you can also build structures). It’s also extremely popular, fun, and free to play.

Fortnite is one of our favorite shooters overall on Mac, and because it can be played for free, there’s no reason not to try if for yourself:

CS: GO  Danger Zone

Perhaps not as fashionable as Fortnite, Counter-Strike is still one of the most famous shooters ever released. From Valve Software, CS: GO has been know for years as the king of LAN parties and competitive shooters.

And while that remains true, CS: GO recently expanded to become free-to-play and introduce a Battle Royale mode of is own: Danger Zone. Want to know more about it? Head over to Steam and try it for yourself for free.

Super Animal Royale

While PUBG, Fornite, and CS: GO are clearly competing against each other, Super Animal Royale does its own thing.

Still on Early Access, Super Animal Royale is an intense top-down 2D battle royale game where up to 64 cute (murderous) animals fight to the death across several exotic biomes.

The game is $10.99, but it also offers a Super Free Edition that allows you to play the game fully online and progress syncs to the full version!