Easily Play Windows Games on macOS
Through the applications below, you can play your favorite Windows games on macOS, but keep in mind that not all Windows games are playable and they all have different levels of success at playing them. Some games may run perfectly fine on CrossOver, but won't run with Parallels, or vise vera.
CrossOver is the most popular way to play Windows games on macOS. Through CrossOver, install the Windows version of Steam and other game launchers and then install and play your favorite Windows games.
Parallels is virtual machine software that enables you to run Windows on macOS and it works surprisingly well for playing Windows games. You will need a Parallels subscription, a Windows license, and having 16GB or more memory helps. Be sure to close macOS apps when using Parallels if you less than 16GB of memory.
Note: when using our Parallels link you receive a discount when buying Parallels.
Heroic Games Launcher is a free and open-source application for playing Windows games on macOS. It supports games you own on Epic Games, GOG, and Amazon. Heroic is a great alternative to CrossOver, although slightly more complicated. You log into your Epic Games and other accounts and it displays all of the games that you own. From there you can install the game and pick which version of Wine to use to play it. This is useful if you don't want to pay for CrossOver or you're unable to get games to work any other way.
Whisky was a totally free and open-source application that enabled you to play Windows games using Wine. Whisky has since been discontinued and should be avoided as games are unlikely to work and bugs are no longer being fixed.
Which Windows Games Work On macOS?
There are a few places to check to see if the game you want to play will even work on macOS:
- Our Games Tested directory.
- CrossOver Compatibility Database.
- MacGamingDB.
- r/macgamersorg and r/macgaming (Reddit).