Game Porting Toolkit 

Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit, based on the Wine translation layer, acts as a vital bridge between Windows and macOS platforms, allowing for a diverse range of unsupported game titles to be accessed on a Mac. Essentially, this toolkit mirrors the functions of CrossOver, the renowned compatibility application that facilitates Windows game-play on a Mac. What sets the Game Porting Toolkit apart is its groundbreaking ability to support DirectX 12 games on macOS – a feature which wasn’t available until now. Yet, the toolkit primarily targets developers aiming to gauge the optimization levels required to shift a game to macOS. It’s not intended as a consumer product and consequently lacks a user-friendly graphical interface. Instead, it’s operated via Terminal commands, which can be daunting for the average user.

While the Gameporting Toolkit might seem intimidating due to its reliance on Terminal commands, we offer a comprehensive guide further below, detailing the steps, commands, and some auxiliary suggestions for smooth game operations via the toolkit. However, it’s essential to remember that novices to the Terminal might find the procedure somewhat complex. On a brighter note, the Game Porting Toolkit can now be seamlessly merged with the user-friendly and significantly more stable CrossOver app, thus combining their strengths. This Game Porting tool integration ensures users benefit from the toolkit’s improved compatibility while still enjoying the intuitive and easy to navigate user interface of CrossOver.

About Apple Game Porting Toolkit

The Apple Game Porting Toolkit has emerged as a compelling solution for running Windows games on Mac, thanks to its utilization of both Wine and Apple’s D3D Metal translation layer. This allows for previously inaccessible titles to be played on Apple Silicon Macs without relying on cloud gaming. Notable games like Elden Ring, Cyberpunk, Diablo 4, and Hogwarts Legacy have become playable on M1 and M2 Macs through the Apple Game Porting Toolkit. However, it must be noted that these games, not being inherently designed for Mac, can’t fully harness the prowess of Apple Silicon chips, resulting in suboptimal performance. Despite this, the performance in practice still manages to impress (especially on the M1 and M2 Pro and Mac chips), considering the games are being run through several translation layers.

For users daunted by the lack of a user-friendly interface in this Game Porting tool and the prerequisite Terminal work, there’s a silver lining. The CXPatcher app offers seamless integration of the Gameporting Toolkit with the tried and tested CrossOver, making game installation and initiation a breeze through CrossOver’s intuitive interface. By taking advantage of the robust D3D Metal translation layer from Apple’s toolkit, this amalgamation stands as the most straightforward and efficient method to enjoy local gaming on M1 and M2 Macs.

Game Porting Toolkit download

The Game Porting Toolkit download process itself is uncomplicated: find it on Apple Developer’s download section, as explained in our guide, and obtain the DMG file. The implementation phase presents two choices. You could either merge it with CrossOver via the CX Patcher or run it standalone, demanding some familiarity with Mac Terminal commands. Our recommendation? Upon completing the Game Porting Toolkit download, we suggest opting for its integration with CrossOver/CX Patcher. This route is markedly more user-friendly and comes with a perk: it addresses various potential hiccups and glitches that might arise when using the Toolkit in isolation. Essentially, this strategy streamlines the operation and augments user experience.

Game Porting Toolkit Mac requirements

There’s one important Game Porting Toolkit Mac requirement in order to use the tool and that is to have macOS Sonoma installed on your Mac. This is the new upcoming major macOS release, set to become officially available this fall. Fortunately, its beta version is already accessible. In a departure from past practices, all Apple ID users, not just developers, can access it, allowing you to meet this specific Game Porting Toolkit Mac requirement. Yet, it’s crucial to recognize its beta status, which could lead to sporadic issues stemming from bugs or optimization hurdles. Before initiating the install, it’s vital to back up your data. Additionally, think about installing macOS Sonoma on a distinct partition to maintain your current macOS’s stability.

Game Porting Toolkit Steam games

There is full Game Porting Toolkit compatibility, meaning that you should be able to play most if not all games from your Steam library. You can install Steam within the Toolkit and run games, but a glitch might cause the client to occasionally open as an empty window. Often, reopening it multiple times resolves the issue. Once you access the client’s interface, the experience should be smooth. In addition to the Game Porting Toolkit Steam games compatibility, the app can also support titles from the Epic Games Store and GOG Galaxy libraries (via the Heroic Games Launcher) and it even lets you play Battle.net games. While detailed steps for each platform are provided below, those seeking a more straightforward process can opt to integrate the Toolkit with CrossOver.

Game Porting Toolkit Tutorial

When it comes to leveraging the Mac Game Porting Toolkit for enhanced gaming, the methodology you adopt plays a pivotal role. If you gravitate towards the CXPatcher/CrossOver technique, the entire setup becomes a lot easier to perform, as shown in our dedicated CrossOver guide. Conversely, adopting the traditional Toolkit strategy, anchored in the Terminal, demands a more intricate setup. This approach requires users to input particular command lines, outlined in our Game Porting Toolkit instructions, to initiate and optimize the Toolkit. Furthermore, in the event of glitches or technical hiccups, the Terminal will be your primary tool for debugging and rectification. We’ve meticulously incorporated an array of solutions within our manual, addressing the majority of the prevalent challenges gamers might face.

Now, if you’ve decided to take the long way around and use only the Toolkit, without the help of CrossOver and the CX Patcher, then you’ll first need to complete the following tasks to get the app ready for use. Once you’ve performed them, we’ll show you how to install your preferred gaming store clients and play your favourite games through them.

Game Porting Toolkit macOS Sonoma

To begin the setup process of the Game Porting Toolkit, macOS Sonoma needs to be installed on your Mac, and to install it, you must first ensure your current macOS version is Ventura 13.4. Validate this by going to System Settings, opting for General, and then Software Update. If you are running on an older version, upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.4. Next, sign into developer.apple.com with your Apple ID and consent to the Apple Developer Agreement. After that restart your Mac. Then, revisit System Settings, choose General > Software Update, and click the ‘info’ symbol adjacent to Beta Updates. In the next window, pick ‘macOS Sonoma Developer Beta’ and hit Done, which will then allow you to perform the Game Porting Toolkit macOS Sonoma installation.

When macOS 14 Beta appears in the Software Update panel, you must select ‘Upgrade Now‘ and then proceed with the on-screen instructions to perform the macOS Sonoma installation and get your Mac ready for the Game Porting Toolkit.

Game Porting Toolkit DMG download

Your next move is to download the Game Porting Toolkit DMG to your Mac. Head over to the Apple Developer downloads site and log in with your Apple ID; you don’t need a developer account. Search “Game” to swiftly locate the Toolkit app. Click on ‘View Details’ and initiate the download for the Game Porting Toolkit DMG. Once downloaded, access the .dmg file but keep it minimized. Ensuring it remains open is vital since this action mounts the DMG, a crucial step for what lies ahead. It’s worth noting that this step doesn’t install anything; it merely prepares the ground for the subsequent phases.

Important Notes:

• If your Mac has ARM64 Homebrew installed on it, it’s recommended to remove Homebrew as it’s possible that it may interfere with the next steps. To uninstall it, delete the /opt/homebrew/bin folder or run a Homebrew uninstall script.
• If you have an older Xcode on your Mac, you must uninstall it first.

Install Command Line Tools for Xcode 15

To get the Game Porting Toolkit ready and running, you’ll also need to install Command Line Tools for Xcode 15, so search for ‘Command line beta’ in the Apple develpers downlad page, click on View Details under Command Line Tools for Xcode 15 beta, and then click on the file below the description to download it.

Next, double-click the Command Line Tools .dmg file that you downloaded, then double-click the .pkg file, and follow the prompts to complete the installation. This will get everything ready for the actual Game Porting Toolkit install.

Working with Terminal

The main part of the Game Porting Toolkit install process involves working with Terminal – your Mac’s command line tool. We’ve provided the commands you’ll need to use, but note that they must be entered in the Terminal exactly as we’ve given them here or else they won’t work.

Press Command + Space, type Terminal, and hit Enter. You can also open the Terminal by going to Applications > Utilities, where it’s located.

Next, you’ll need to type in a series of commands into the Terminal, hitting Enter after each one in order to prepare the Game Porting Toolkit. Some of these commands might ask for your password. When you’re typing it in, you won’t see any characters appear in the Terminal – but don’t let that throw you. Simply type your password as usual, despite the characters being invisible. Once you’ve typed it, hit Enter to affirm and run the command. It might feel a bit like you’re typing into thin air, but trust us – it’s working, and the Game Porting Toolkit is getting ready for use.

1. Rosetta installation (for M1 and M2 Macs only)
   • command: softwareupdate –install-rosetta
   • Type A and press Enter to agree to the installation.
2. Entering the x86_64 shell (needed to perform all the other commands)
   • command: arch -x86_64 zsh
3. Installing Homebrew x86_64 (requires Admin password)
   • command: /bin/bash -c “$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)”
   • You will need to press Enter a second time to complete the installation.
4. Setting the correct path:
   • command:
     (echo; echo ‘eval “$(/usr/local/bin/brew shellenv)”‘) >> /Users/$USER/.zprofile
     eval “$(/usr/local/bin/brew shellenv)”
5. Use this command to confirm the chosen path is correct:
   • command: which brew
   • If you get this as a response /usr/local/bin/brew, it means your path is the correct one. If you get something else, use the following command: export PATH=/usr/local/bin:${PATH}
6. Tapping the source code from Apple:
   • command: brew tap apple/apple http://github.com/apple/homebrew-apple
7. Installing Homebrew (this installation can take more than an hour and a half to complete):
   • command: brew -v install apple/apple/game-porting-toolkit
8. (Alternative to Step 7) Updating Homebrew to its latest version if you already have an older version of Homebrew installed:
   • command: brew update brew -v install apple/apple/game-porting-toolkit

Note: Should an error message manifest during the Game Porting Toolkit installation process, specifically “Error: game-porting-toolkit: unknown or unsupported macOS version: :dunno”, this signifies that your current Homebrew version lacks compatibility with macOS Sonoma. To rectify this, simply update to the most recent version of Homebrew and initiate the installation once more – this time you should be able to set up the Game Porting Toolkit without any hiccups.

Setting up a Wine Prefix

A Game Porting Toolkit Wine prefix acts much like a CrossOver bottle, hosting a virtual C: drive where both the Toolkit and your desired game need to be installed. To create a new Wine prefix in the Game Porting Toolkit and kick-start the installation of your preferred gaming store and individual games, just follow these commands.

1. Creating a new Game Porting Toolkit Wine prefix.
   • command: WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 winecfg
   • After the command is performed, you should see a Wine Configuration window. In it, you must change the Windows version to Windows 10. Click Apple and OK to save the change.
2. Copying the Toolkit’s library directory to the library directory of Wine.
   • Note: Before you perform this command, ensure that the Game Porting Toolkit is mounted by opening its .dmg file that you downloaded in Step 2.
   • command: ditto /Volumes/Game\ Porting\ Toolkit-1.0/lib/ brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/lib/
3. Place the scripts located in the Game Porting Toolkit DMG into the /usr/local/bin folder.
   • command: cp /Volumes/Game\ Porting\ Toolkit/gameportingtoolkit /usr/local/bin

After your Wine Prefix is set up in the Game Porting Toolkit, it’s time to install in it the client for your go-to gaming store. This will allow you to download and install Windows games on your Mac. Follow the instructions below to get Steam, Battle.net, the Epic Games Launcher, or the GOG launcher up and running through the Game Porting Toolkit.

Game Porting Toolkit Steam installation

To commence the Game Porting Toolkit Steam setup, begin by getting the Windows version of the Steam installer. Subsequently, use Terminal commands to integrate the Steam client within a Wine prefix and launch the application. An evident hurdle is the recurring blank window issue upon logging into Steam that we already mentioned. However, a suggested workaround is detailed further. While this persistent Game Porting Toolkit Steam bug hasn’t been entirely eliminated, it shouldn’t obstruct accessing your gaming library and running the games in it. In order to set everything up, be sure to closely follow the next instructions:

1. Click this link (you may be required to click Allow) to download Steam for Windows and save the Steam Setup file in your downloads folder.
2. Installing Steam in the Game Porting Toolkit
   • command: gameportingtoolkit ~/my-game-prefix ~/Downloads/SteamSetup.exe
   • The Windows version of the Steam installer should open next – follow the prompts to perform the installation. After the installation completes and Steam attempts to start, you are likely to get an empty gray window that doesn’t load into Steam. If you get this issue, the next command will help you start Steam normally.
3. Running Steam
   • command: gameportingtoolkit ~/my-game-prefix ‘C:\Program Files (x86)/Steam/steam.exe’
   • If the empty window issue continues, use the next command.
4. Logging in to Steam
   • command: MTL_HUD_ENABLED=1 WINEESYNC=1 WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix /usr/local/Cellar/game-porting-toolkit/1.0/bin/wine64 ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe’
   • If the annoying Game Porting Toolkit problem persists, close and re-open the Terminal and try again. Keep doing this until the Steam window finally loads properly (after a couple of attempts, Steam should load normally).

When Steam finally pops open, you can log in, navigate to your library, and get to downloading and installing your desired games. Bear in mind that not all games might run smoothly through the Game Porting Toolkit translation layer – performance issues may crop up, and some games might not even launch. It’s a bit of a testing ground, figuring out which games make the cut and which ones don’t.

Game Porting Toolkit 1.0.3 update installation

There’s now a Game Porting Toolkit 1.0.3 update that improves the overall performance and adds more gaming titles that can now be run on a Mac with its help. According to tests, the average performance improvement with this update is around 20% across the games that were tested, and also games such, as Horizon Zero Dawn, which didn’t work correctly with the previous Toolkit version, are now playable with 1.0.3. If you want to try out the Game Porting Toolkit 1.0.3 update, it’s enough to search for it in the Apple Developer downloads webpage page and download it from there. After that, the rest of the process is identical – use the instructions and the Terminal commands provided on this page to set up the Toolkit and to install and run the games you want to play.

Game Porting Toolkit Battle.net installation

It’s also possible to install the Battle.net launcher in a Game Porting Toolkit Wine prefix and then download Blizzard games, including the newly-released and highly-popular Diablo 4. Here’s how to do this:

1. Download the Windows version of the Battle.net launcher in your Downloads folder.
2. If you want to play Diablo IV, you must run the following script in the Terminal:
   • WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 reg add ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion’ /v CurrentBuild /t REG_SZ /d 19042 /f
     WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 reg add ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion’ /v CurrentBuildNumber /t REG_SZ /d 19042 /f
     WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wineserver -k
3. Installing and running Battle.net:
   • command: gameportingtoolkit ~/my-game-prefix ~/Downloads/Battle.net-Setup.exe
   • Follow the prompts of the installer to perform the installation of the Battle.net launcher in the Game Porting Toolkit.
   • Note: there’s currently an issue that prevents you from re-opening and re-logging in the Battle.net launcher after having closed it once. Use the command in the next step to circumvent this annoying Game Porting Toolkit issue by directly launching each game individually, without needing the launcher.
4. Starting each game individually:
   • command: arch -x86_64 gameportingtoolkit-no-hud ~/my-game-prefix ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Diablo IV\Diablo IV Launcher.exe’
   • Note: this command is specific for Diablo IV. If you want to start another Battle.net game using the Game Porting Toolkit, you’ll need to type the path of its .exe file in the place of Diablo IV’s .exe path within the command.

Game Porting Toolkit Epic and GOG installation (through Heroic Games Launcher)

Currently, the normal version of the Epic Games Launcher doesn’t run through the Game Porting Toolkit, which is why the method used here is through the Heroic Games Launcher – an open source app that serves as a game launcher for Epic Games and GOG. Follow the instructions below to install and open the Heroic Games Launcher through the Game Porting Toolkit and then download and play the games in your Epic and GOG libraries.

1. Go to this github page, log in to GitHub (or sign up now), and download a .dmg file for the Heroic Games Launcher.
2. Double-click the .dmg file and install the launcher in your Mac’s Applications folder.
3. Open the Heroic Games Launcher and log in to your Epic Games Store or GOG account.
   • If the app won’t open for whatever reason, open a Terminal window, type xattr -cr, leave a space and then drag and drop the Heroic Games Launcher icon right next to the command in the Terminal window. This will copy-paste the launcher’s file path in the Terminal window. Then execute the full command, which should look something like xattr -cr /Applications/Heroic.app. Once the command is performed, try to open the launcher once again.
4. When the launcher opens, and you log in to Epic or GOG, go to Library in the top-left, find the game you want to play, and select it.
5. Next, select Install, confirm that the game will be installed in Heroic’s directory (should look like /Users/Admins/Games/Heroic), and click Install again.
6. Once the game is installed, click on the Settings icon in the top-right (next to the three-dots button), and change the CrossOver/Wine Version to Gaming Toolkit Standalone – wine 7.7 Also make sure that the WinePrefix Folder path and name are correct so that the game will be launched through the Game Porting Toolkit. The default path for your Wine prefix should be /Users/Admins/*Wine Prefix Name*.
7. Close the Settings window and click on the Play button. The game should now start without a problem using the Game Porting Toolkit translation layer.

Game Porting Toolkit: Troubleshooting and Fixes

Unsurprisingly, when attempting to run games using the Game Porting Toolkit, you are bound to come across different obstacles that may interfere with gaming performance or make certain games outright unplayable. In this section, we’ll cover known fixes to some frequently-encountered Game Porting Toolkit problems. However, know that not all hindrances you may encounter with this app can be resolved. For instance, most games with anti-cheat systems, such as Valorant or Overwatch 2, are still unplayable on Mac via emulation, which includes the Game Porting Toolkit. That said, there are some instances when something can be done to circumvent the obstruction. For instance, Elden Ring also has an anti-cheat system, but there’s a workaround that lets you play the game offline through the Game Porting Toolkit, which is one of the fixes that will be covered here.

Steam black screen at login

This is a potential alternative Game Porting Toolkit fix to the aforementioned Steam black screen issue that uses the macOS version of Steam:

1. Download Steam for macOS and install it on your Mac.
2. Access this folder /Users/$USER/Library/Application Support/Steam and copy from it the following items:
   • config
   • registry.vdf
   • userdata
3. Paste the copied items into the Steam folder in your Game Porting Toolkit Wine prefix. The default location of the folder should be ~/my-game-prefix/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Steam/.
4. You should now be able to normally open your Wine prefix Steam without the black screen bug.

Steam crashing

Apparently, having external monitors connected to your Mac can cause Steam to crash when you are using it through the Game Porting Toolkit, so if you encounter this problem and are using external screens, try disconnecting them and then restarting Steam.

Elden Ring Easy Anti-Cheat workaround

There’s currently no way to run games with anti-cheat systems through the Game Porting Toolkit, so the workaround for Elden Ring is to start the offline version of the game, which doesn’t require Easy Anti-Cheat to run. Of course, this will block your access to any multiplayer features, but will at least allow you to play the game in single-player. Here’s how to do this:

1. Once you’ve set up everything else in the Game Porting Toolkit and have opened the Windows version of Steam in your Wine prefix, find Elden Ring in your Steam library and right-click it, select Manage > Browse local files.
2. Open the game’s folder and rename the start_protected_game.exe file (should have the anti-cheat’s icon) to start_protected_game_original.exe.
3. Next, rename the eldenring.exe file to start_protected_game.exe.
4. Close the game files window and start Elden Ring normally – the Game Porting Toolkit should now launch the non-anti-cheat, offline version of the game, and you’ll be able to play it in this way.

Old Windows version error

To fix this Game Porting Toolkit error, try running the following script in the Terminal and then try to again launch the game that gave you the error:

WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 reg add ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion’ /v CurrentBuild /t REG_SZ /d 19042 /f
WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 reg add ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion’ /v CurrentBuildNumber /t REG_SZ /d 19042 /f
WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wineserver -k

Nothing is loading after Wine crashes

This can happen from time to time when using the Game Porting Toolkit and the easiest way to fix it is to close all Wine threats with the following Terminal command:

• killall -9 wineserver && killall -9 wine64-preloader

Controller problems

If you are experiencing any problems with your controller when trying to play games through the Game Porting Toolkit, it’s possible that enrolling to the Steam beta can help resolve those issues.

Pixelated game/limited display resolution

The fix for this Game Porting Toolkit problem is to Retina Mode (high resolution mode) using the following command:

• WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 reg add ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wine\Mac Driver’ /v RetinaMode /t REG_SZ /d ‘Y’ /f

Note that some games won’t run while this mode is turned on, so to disable it, use this command:

• WINEPREFIX=~/my-game-prefix brew –prefix game-porting-toolkit/bin/wine64 reg add ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wine\Mac Driver’ /v RetinaMode /t REG_SZ /d ‘N’ /f

AVX and AVX 2 games like Red Dead Redemption 2 won’t run

Games that use Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX and AVX 2) aren’t supported for ARM 64 chips, so they normally cannot run on M1 and M2 Macs, even when you try to launch them with the help of the Game Porting Toolkit compatibility layer. There is a possible workaround that can provide a solution for certain titles, like Dying Light 2:

1. Find the game in your Steam library, right-click it, and go to Manage >Browse local files.
2. Navigate to this location ph\work\bin\x64 and rename the runtime_dx11.dll file to runtime_dx11.dll.bak.
3. Try to start the game again.
4. If you need to go back to the regular runtime_dx11.dll file, simply delete the .bak extension.

Final Notes

So this is our article on how to set up and use the Game Porting Toolkit to game on your Mac. We’ll make sure to update this post with any new fixes and details about this app, that you may find useful and helpful, so be sure to keep tabs on this page to learn the latest information!

Sources used for the making of this Game Porting Toolkit article:

• AppleGamingWiki
• r/macgaming