Play Anno 117 on Mac

Today I’m diving into Anno 117, the long-awaited entry in the Anno series. It’s shaping up to be a gorgeous city-builder with historical flair, but here’s the thing: it’s not available on Mac – at least not natively. Still, I’ve explored several ways to make it playable. Here’s what I’ve found.

Can You Play Anno 117 on Mac?

Short answer: yes, but not natively – and it takes a bit of creativity. Anno 117 has no Mac version at launch, which isn’t surprising given Ubisoft’s track record. Still, I was determined to get it running, so I spent a weekend testing every workaround I could think of, and here’s what stood out.

• First up: Boosteroid. This cloud gaming service is honestly the most balanced option I tried. It’s come a long way, offering a stable experience and a decent price, especially if you’re eyeing 4K streaming without breaking the bank. There’s a catch though: fewer server locations compared to some competitors, so depending on where you are, latency could be an issue.
• Then there’s GeForce Now, the biggest fish in the cloud-gaming pond. It has tons of servers worldwide, the largest streaming library, and crazy specs – up to 4K and 240 FPS, which is overkill for most of us. But there’s the price. GFN is a bit pricier than Boosteroid, and frustratingly, it doesn’t always carry newly released AAA titles right away.
• As for Bootcamp, this is an honorable mention. It works only on Intel Macs, and let’s be real – most of those machines don’t have the GPU/CPU muscle for a modern title like this. That said, if you’re rocking a powerful iMac or a Mac Pro, it might be worth a shot.

Finally: I tried CrossOver, Sikarugir, and a few other local tools on my M1 and M2 machines. Let me save you the time – they didn’t work. Not even with hacks, tweaks, or crossed fingers. I’ll dig into why later in the article, but for now, cloud gaming is the way to go if you’re on Apple Silicon.

Now let’s move on to how to use those methods.

How to Play Anno 117 on Mac

Now that I’ve figured out which methods actually work to play Anno 117 on a Mac, let’s get into the details. I’ll walk you through each option step by step, starting with the cloud services and ending with the more experimental setups. Whether you prefer streaming or tinkering with local tools, I’ve got you covered. I tested everything myself – so these aren’t just theories, they’re real results. Pick your method, follow along, and let’s get you playing.

Anno Pax Romana on Mac – Performance

Let’s talk performance, because all workarounds aren’t created equal. I put each option through its paces – Boosteroid, GeForce Now, and even some doomed local experiments – to see how Anno 117 actually plays on a Mac.

This section is for anyone who cares about frame rates, latency, visuals, and overall smoothness before committing. Whether you’re gaming on Apple Silicon or clinging to a high-spec Intel Mac, I’ve broken down exactly what to expect. Let’s see what held up and what fell flat.

Streaming Anno 117 on MacBook With Boosteroid and GeForce Now

When I fired up Anno 117 on Boosteroid, I was pleasantly surprised. With a steady 25 Mbps connection, the stream ran beautifully in 4K, and honestly, that’s a rare find at this price point. Input lag was barely noticeable, though I did make sure I was on Ethernet and not Wi-Fi – latency matters. The only thing to watch out for is server proximity; if you’re far from their data centers, ping might creep up.

Then I moved over to GeForce Now, and sure, it’s the veteran here. The setup was easy, and having servers practically everywhere helps on consistency. GFN also delivered smooth gameplay at high FPS, though getting 4K meant paying a premium. Both services require you to own the game on a platform like Steam and log in, but that’s a small price for the convenience.

The bottom line is that cloud gaming is a serious win for Mac users, especially for a game like this.

Download Anno 117: Pax Romana on Mac With BootCamp – Is it Even Worth It?

Whenever I talk about Bootcamp, I treat it as the nuclear option rather than the default. Looking at the Windows requirements, it’s pretty clear Anno 117 definitely wants a legit gaming PC, not a thin-and-light laptop from 2017.

In theory, a high-end Intel iMac with a discrete GPU or an old Intel Mac Pro could muscle through on lower settings, maybe targeting 1080p with medium presets. But most Intel MacBooks, especially those with weaker mobile GPUs, would probably struggle or thermal-throttle pretty quickly.

And remember, I’m not just guessing here: running modern AAA games natively on Intel Macs has always felt like pushing hardware slightly outside its comfort zone. That’s why I still see cloud gaming as the more realistic path for most Mac owners.

My Attempts to Play Anno 117 on Mac With CrossOver and Sikarugir (Failed)

I also went down the rabbit hole of trying to get Anno 117 running locally with CrossOver and Sikarugir, and that… did not go well. I could install the game just fine, but it simply refused to launch. No splash screen, no error message worth chasing, just nothing happening after I hit play.

I tried different bottles, different settings, DirectX tweaks, the usual ritual of toggling random options and hoping for magic. Same result every time: launcher works, game doesn’t. From what I’ve seen and heard from other Mac players, I’m definitely not alone here.

To be fair, I don’t think this means CrossOver or Sikarugir are hopeless for this game forever. Realistically, Anno 117 is new, complicated, and demanding. I fully expect those tools to catch up with patches and new compatibility layers.

But right now, if you’re on macOS and just want to play, these methods are a frustrating dead end. Honestly, that’s why I shifted my focus back to cloud options: I’d rather actually build cities than babysit wine prefixes.

If you enjoy tinkering, you might still want to experiment, but I’d treat that as a side project, not your main plan at least for now anyway.

Anno 117: Pax Romana on Mac – Conclusion

In the end, playing Anno 117 on a Mac is totally possible, just not the way I’d prefer. There’s no native support, local tools like CrossOver or Sikarugir currently fail, and Bootcamp is a niche option for a handful of powerful Intel machines.

For most people, cloud gaming is the sweet spot. Boosteroid gave me the best overall balance, while GeForce Now impressed with sheer muscle and infrastructure. None of this is as clean as clicking “Install” in a Mac store, but it does mean I still get to lose hours building Roman cities on my Mac, which feels fantastic.