Cyberpunk 2077 set to launch for macOS on July 17
Only Macs with at least 16GB of unified memory are supported.
For years, gaming on a Mac felt like a side quest nobody really finished. That’s starting to change in a big way as Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is officially launching on macOS on July 17.
This brings one of the most demanding and ambitious open-world games natively to Apple Silicon, creating a path for Apple's ongoing push to make the Mac gamer-friendly. The game release includes the Phantom Liberty expansion and every major update that helped turn Cyberpunk 2077 from a shaky 2020 launch into a much-improved modern RPG.
Additionally, the macOS version is built specifically for M1 through M4 chips, but only Macs with at least 16GB of unified memory are supported. That means base models with 8GB M1 or M2 chips won’t be compatible.
However, on the supported chips, players will get graphics presets tailored to each Apple Silicon model, ensuring performance scales across different MacBooks and desktops.
In fact, more powerful machines, like those running M3 Max or M4 chips, will support path tracing, AMD FSR, MetalFX upscaling, spatial audio, and HDR support for Apple’s high-end displays. Controls are also fully integrated with Magic Mouse, trackpad, and AirPods head-tracking.
The game will be available on the Mac App Store, as well as Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, with cross-progression support so players can move between platforms.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
While Mac owners have technically been able to run Cyberpunk 2077 through Apple’s game porting tools for a couple of years, this official release is something else entirely. It takes full advantage of Apple’s native Metal graphics API, including its Tile-Based Deferred Rendering (TBDR) architecture, offering improved efficiency and image quality specifically tuned for Apple hardware.
Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 continues to broaden its reach. The game was recently added to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, making it free to access for Extra and Premium subscribers. It’s also available on the Nintendo Switch 2, bringing the game to portable players.
For Apple, this moment is symbolic. Getting a technically demanding, graphically rich game like Cyberpunk 2077 to run natively on macOS is a significant step in shaking off the Mac’s reputation as an afterthought in gaming.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
