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Is it ok to play GTA IV on Mac Air?

I own 8gb ram, M2 Mac Air and I wanna download a game to play in my spare time. Will it damage my laptop to play GTA IV? Meaning will it affect negatively its battery and performance overall? The game itself is a little bit old (released in 2008) and minimal system requirements are in the screenshot. Thanks for responses in advance.

Posted on May 9, 2023 4:00 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 30, 2024 12:46 PM

This is incorrect. There are many ways to play windows games on Apple Silicon.

I use an app called Whiskey that is based on wine, but here are some other options courtesy of chatGPT.


  1. CrossOver: CrossOver, based on Wine, is a software that allows you to run Windows applications directly on macOS without needing a Windows license. It translates Windows API calls to macOS API calls on the fly. However, not all games may work perfectly, and performance can vary.
  2. Virtualization Software (like Parallels Desktop): Virtualization software allows you to run a virtual Windows machine on your Mac. Parallels Desktop has released versions compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. This method usually offers better compatibility than CrossOver but might still struggle with demanding games in terms of performance.
  3. Cloud Gaming Services (like GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming): Cloud gaming services allow you to stream games from powerful servers over the internet. This method doesn't require running the game locally on your Mac, thus bypassing compatibility issues. However, it requires a stable and fast internet connection.
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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 30, 2024 12:46 PM in response to bumbleben0

This is incorrect. There are many ways to play windows games on Apple Silicon.

I use an app called Whiskey that is based on wine, but here are some other options courtesy of chatGPT.


  1. CrossOver: CrossOver, based on Wine, is a software that allows you to run Windows applications directly on macOS without needing a Windows license. It translates Windows API calls to macOS API calls on the fly. However, not all games may work perfectly, and performance can vary.
  2. Virtualization Software (like Parallels Desktop): Virtualization software allows you to run a virtual Windows machine on your Mac. Parallels Desktop has released versions compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. This method usually offers better compatibility than CrossOver but might still struggle with demanding games in terms of performance.
  3. Cloud Gaming Services (like GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming): Cloud gaming services allow you to stream games from powerful servers over the internet. This method doesn't require running the game locally on your Mac, thus bypassing compatibility issues. However, it requires a stable and fast internet connection.

Mar 30, 2024 5:34 PM in response to bumbleben0

bumbleben0 wrote:

As shown in the provided screenshot, MacBook Air does not support Grand Theft Auto IV, since you cannot install Windows 10 on a Mac with Apple Silicon.


You can install Windows 11 for ARM inside a Parallels or VMware Fusion virtual machine.


But running a high-end game compiled for Windows/Intel PCs, inside an emulation/translation environment, inside an ARM version of Windows that itself is running inside a virtual machine, is not likely to be a pleasant experience.


If it even works at all.

Is it ok to play GTA IV on Mac Air?

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