I'll get to the point - gaming on the Mac hasn't been the greatest for years, unless your cup of coffee is Angry Birds, Crossy Road, and similar games that work across Apple's devices.
While Valve's Steam storefront appeared in 2010 on the Mac, it's all but extinct thanks to a lack of support, and the move from Intel chips to Apple Silicon. Granted, the best Mac games offer some high-quality titles, it's never felt as though Apple has gone all-in to support game developers.
However, it looks as though Apple is taking steps to change this, with a new gaming framework called Metal 3, which can more easily port over recent games from Windows, to both macOS 13 Ventura and iPadOS 16.
With Resident Evil VIllage and No Mans Sky both on the way because of this framework, we're wondering what other games have a fighting chance at appearing on both the Mac and iPad in the future, thanks to Metal 3.
Sonic Generations
Partly inspired by Sonic's 31st anniversary this year and Sonic Origins, there's currently no way of playing any of Sonic's games on macOS natively.
From Sonic 1 to 2018's Sonic Forces, playing these games will require using virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop, and booting into Windows 11 and Steam to try out some of the series.
For a brand like Sonic, it seems strange that there's been no way of playing the games on macOS, and Sonic Generations feels perfect to test the waters for SEGA. Being able to play zones from past games, remade, is still fun even after more than a decade since their release.
The hidden collectibles and the replayability can keep you coming back time and again, alongside the charm of Classic Sonic and the remade songs for every challenge and levels that would work well on a Mac.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
With Capcom surprising everyone with its appearance at the WWDC 2022 keynote, Resident Evil Village was confirmed to be coming to the Mac- but what about the other entries?
The remake of Resident Evil 2, released in 2019, received high acclaim, showcasing how a remake can be done, and was arguably a better take than what Resident Evil 3 did in 2020.
It looks as though this depends purely on the success of Resident Evil VIllage on the Mac, both in sales and how it runs on Apple Silicon. With the remake of Resident Evil 4 confirmed for a March 2023 release, it may encourage Capcom to release more of the games for the Mac, alongside PC and consoles.
Elden Ring
Already the game of the year from many at TechRadar, Elden Ring could be an easy win from both FromSoftware and Apple.
Games are more than birds and crossing the road - they can be challenging and full of boss battles as you level up your character that traverses across the seemingly ever-changing Lands Between with its areas of caves, castles, and catacombes.
Elden Ring is a game that can test your patience, but rewards you in droves once you defeat certain enemies. Its design and impressive graphics can be a great showcase for Metal 3, but also give macOS users more confidence that games like this have a place on the platform as well.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
A personal recommendation here, as there's far too few fighting games on the Mac. They can test your reflexes while playing as characters that you've either watched or read for years in different mediums, and Dragon Ball is the perfect example of this.
Akira Toriyama's anime is one of those for me. I used to watch it during the 'Toonami' days of the late-90s on Cartoon Network where it would be broadcast every weekday after school, and FighterZ is one of the best representations of the series in recent years. Everything is here - from the animations and the voice-acting to the accurate takes of the special attacks from every character.
This is why this Dragon Ball FighterZ would be great to see on macOS. It's not as violent as Mortal Kombat, or as license-heavy as Marvel vs Capcom, so it could have a great place on Apple's platforms, especially if crossplay is involved with players on iPadOS and Apple TV.
Grand Theft Auto Series
Slightly cheating here, but there's no reason why all the GTA entries can come to macOS, especially as Vice City and San Andreas are already there, as the iPadOS versions can be played on an Apple Silicon Mac.
With GTA V seeing another re-release on PS5, it's a great opportunity for the game to also see a release on macOS, alongside the Definitive Edition releases that are already seeing a bunch of fixes since its buggy debut.
There's been a long-standing myth that any games that relate to horror and violence are a no-go for Apple, but with Resident Evil Village coming to the Mac, and plenty of games available in similar categories, there's no reason why all of the GTA games can't come to macOS.
Alongside GTA 6 confirmed to be in development by Rockstar, to see a multi-platform release of the game on consoles, PCs, handhelds and Macs would be an impressive, but justified, feat.
