How to play Honkai: Star Rail on Mac

Honkai: Star Rail is a popular follow-up to Genshin Impact that isn’t officially available on Mac. However, you can play Honkai: Star Rail on Mac using Boosteroid’s cloud gaming service, a virtualization app called Parallels, a powerful tool named PlayCover or Apple’s own Boot Camp Assistant, which can be used to set up a Windows OS and boot it from your Mac. Each of these alternatives has its pros and cons, but it still makes it possible to enjoy the game on MacOS.

Which method to play Honkai: Star Rail on macOS is best for you?

If you are wondering which of the methods to play Honkai Star Rail on MacOS that we’ve mentioned is best for you, here is a brief explanation. First, Boosteroid allows you to stream the game in your browser withoug downloading it. Parallels allows you to run a Windows virtual machine alongside your macOS, providing compatibility with a broad range of Windows games on both Intel and Apple Sillicon machines. However, optimal performance might require a well-equipped Mac, and setting up a virtual machine can be somewhat complex. Second, PlayCover is an emulation tool designed to run Windows games directly on macOS, eliminating the need for a separate Windows installation. While it simplifies the process, its compatibility is strictly limited to Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2), making it ineffective for Intel-based Apple computers. Lastly, Bootcamp enables you to install Windows natively on your Mac, ensuring the best possible performance for the game. However, this method requires an Intel processor only, as well as allocating significant hard drive space, and entails switching between operating systems. The choice among these methods depends on your Mac’s capabilities, technical proficiency, and desired gaming experience.

Honkai: Star Rail Mac Methods & Instructions

Boosteroid Cloud Gaming (Recommended method)

Features: Constant 1080p/60 FPS; Stable connection; Low bandwidth requirements (15 MBPS); Huge gaming library with all the latest AAA titles.

Pros

  • Cheapest cloud-gaming option
  • Compatible with all macs
  • Hardware specs don’t matter
  • You can play in your browser in about 15 minutes

Cons

  • Requires a good internet connection
  • You need to look if the game is supported with your chosen vendor

Extras: Here’s our review of Boosteroid with a comparison to GeForce Now; also check out our Boosteroid Games List.

Boosteroid is our recommended option for playing on a Mac unless you are a competitive gamer. The method is ideal if you simply want to enjoy the game on your Apple machine without jumping through any elaborate hoops, and gives a great combination of visuals and performance.

  1. Use the “Play with Boosteroid” button and go to the Boosteroid website. There, you need to create a new account or log in using your Google Account credentials.
  2. Go at the top-right corner of the screen and click on “My account”. To begin using Boosteroid, you need to activate a plan of your choice under the “My subscription” tab.
  3. Look for the game in the search tab on top to see which vendors Boosteroid supports. You need to own the game before you proceed with this method. Here are links to the game for different vendors: Honkai: Star Rail website; Epic Games.
Parallels Desktop

Features: Provides you with Windows OS functionality without the need for a separate Windows installation. Easy to set up and doesn’t take much space.

Pros

  • Don’t need to buy the game
  • M1/M2/Intel-compatible
  • Hardware specs don’t matter

Cons

  • Requires good Internet
  • Console-based controls
  • Available in few countries.

Note: You need to own the game before you proceed with this method. Here are links to the game for different vendors: Honkai: Star Rail website; Epic Games.

Parallels is a powerful tool that installs a virtual Windows PC within your macOS, facilitating seamless operation of various software. Its benefits lie in its simple installation and heightened stability, reducing the likelihood of encountering errors or system crashes. However, the key drawback of Parallels Desktop is its resource requirement, as it splits your Mac’s capabilities between two operating systems, essentially reserving only half of your Mac’s performance potential for games operating within the Windows virtual environment.

Boot Camp

Features: Provides a native Windows 11 experience. Allows running all Windows-compatible programs and games as long as the Mac’s hardware can support them.

Note: Not available for Apple Silicon models.

Pros

  • It’s free
  • Unlimited compatibility
  • Stable and reliable

Cons

  • Takes time to set up
  • Takes tons of storage
  • Unavailable for M1/M2

Note: You need to own the game before you proceed with this method. Here are links to the game for different vendors: Honkai: Star Rail website; Epic Games.

Boot Camp installs Windows in a separate partition on your Mac and allows you to run any Windows program without any compatibility issues.

  • This method’s advantages are its exceptional stability, ensuring a gaming experience free from errors, crashes, or unexpected issues on your Mac. Furthermore, it’s a cost-effective approach, as you only need to cover the game’s purchase cost, making it a wallet-friendly choice for Mac gamers.
  • On the flip side, the drawbacks of this approach include the substantial hard drive space requirements to host the Windows installation. Additionally, it’s limited to Intel Macs, so if you’re using Apple Silicon, you’ll need to explore alternative solutions. Lastly, it’s a time-intensive process, necessitating several hours for the initial setup.

PlayCover

Pros

  • Allows Mac users to play iOS games.
  • Offers a lot of customization for the game’s controls.
  • Good and stable performance.

Cons

  • May get your game account banned.
  • Takes time to set up.

PlayCover is an emulation app for Apple Silicon Macs, similar to CrossOver, with the difference being that it emulates the iOS (and not the Windows) version of the games you want to play. So, if there’s a particular game you want to play on your Mac and said game has an iOS version, you can use PlayCover to emulate it and run it on your Apple computer..

  • The main advantages of this method are that it’s free, provides stable performance, and has a lot of customization options, such as the option to manually set your key bindings for a smoother translation between touch controls and keyboard and mouse controls..
  • As for the downsides, an important one is that your experience with the game won’t be the same as playing its desktop (Windows) version. Also, setting up PlayCover can take a while and some users may find the process a bit confusing. Lastly, but most importantly, sometimes emulating multiplayer games through PlayCover can result in your profile for the specific game getting temporarily or permanently banned.

Honkai: Star Rail MacBook performance

When it comes to evaluating the Honkai: Star Rail MacBook performance, it’s essential to consider several factors. How the game runs on a MacBook can vary depending on your specific model and its hardware specifications. Newer and more powerful MacBook models equipped with dedicated graphics cards and sufficient RAM are likely to handle Honkai: Star Rail with higher performance, delivering smoother gameplay and enhanced graphics. On the other hand, older MacBook models with integrated graphics may experience reduced performance and may require adjusting the in-game settings for optimal gameplay and a more enjoyable experience.

According to fan reports, Honkai: Star Rail performs exceptionally well on Parallels, on a 16 GB M1 MacBook Pro, allowing for a smooth gaming experience at max resolution with Retina enabled and on Very High settings. For optimal performance, it’s recommended to enable the video.untrimmed_dynamic_cbuffers=1 boot flag, which can be found under Configure > Hardware > Boot Order > Advanced. With these steps, you can enjoy Honkai: Star Rail seamlessly on your Mac through Parallels, making it a fantastic choice for fans of the game.

What other games similar to Honkai: Star Rail can you try?

If you’re a fan of Honkai: Star Rail and looking for similar games to enjoy on your Mac, several action-packed titles with captivating gameplay and anime-inspired aesthetics might pique your interest. Games like Genshin Impact offer an open-world experience with a diverse cast of characters and magical abilities. Path of Exile is another role-playing game with an immersive world and challenging battles. These games offer diverse gameplay experiences for fans of Honkai: Star Rail to delve into on their Mac devices.