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MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) slow when playing games off Steam

First time posting about a Mac problem. I have read up a bit and luckily found the threads where people asked for the EtreCheck report, so it's attached below.


My issue:

I've had this laptop for years. Ran adobe photoshop on it with no issues and periodically run it with no issues. I recently decided I wanted to get back into playing some video games for fun and downloaded a few off Steam - specifically Terra Nil - and it was lagging about 2 minutes into gameplay and then would just crash altogether.


My question:

I am aware that I need to replace the battery on my Mac - about to order and get that problem sorted. Is it possible that this is what is causing the crashing? Or is my machine now too "vintage" (as it states on Etrecheck) for running newer games? I'm not trying to be some kind of hardcore gamer, just want to be able to play some games when I feel like it.


Any ideas? Thanks all in advance.





MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Dec 21, 2024 10:23 PM

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Posted on Dec 22, 2024 1:16 AM

Games can vary a lot in their minimum requirements, so you may be able to find some that will run well on that old MacBook Pro.


Note that since you are running Monterey, you can’t run old games that were originally 64-bit unless their developers have come out with 64-bit versions.

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Dec 22, 2024 1:16 AM in response to Elena L

Games can vary a lot in their minimum requirements, so you may be able to find some that will run well on that old MacBook Pro.


Note that since you are running Monterey, you can’t run old games that were originally 64-bit unless their developers have come out with 64-bit versions.

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Dec 21, 2024 10:46 PM in response to Elena L

You have the version of that MacBook Pro that does not have a discrete GPU - just ab integrated Intel Iris Pro 5200 GPU.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593030/Terra_Nil/


That game appears to have been released in 2023. The minimum system requirements are Monterey and a M1 chip (they don’t claim that it runs on Intel chips at all), and the recommended ones are Sonoma and a M2 chip.


Even a plain M1 chip has a CPU and an integrated GPU that are much faster than their counterparts on that 2015 Intel Mac. It sounds like the reason the game runs so slow may be in part because your system is way under its minimum system requirements.

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Dec 22, 2024 12:58 PM in response to Servant of Cats

Servant of Cats wrote:

Games can vary a lot in their minimum requirements, so you may be able to find some that will run well on that old MacBook Pro.

Never buy a game where the computer is only meeting the minimum system requirements. Performance and gameplay experience will usually be subpar. It is best to only purchase a game where your computer meets or exceeds the Recommended System Requirements.


Note that since you are running Monterey, you can’t run old games that were originally 64-bit unless their developers have come out with 64-bit versions.

@Servant of Cats had a typo and meant to say Monterey won't let people run 32 bit software. Only 64 bit software can run on Monterey.

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Dec 21, 2024 10:49 PM in response to Servant of Cats

Thanks for your reply...I appreciate the detail. I won't pretend to know much about specific hardware capabilities but basically what I'm understanding is that to play new games, I need a newer computer? Makes sense, since this thing is basically out of the stone age by now 😅


Thanks again for your help!

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MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) slow when playing games off Steam

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