The Palworld Mac Methods That We Explored

Palworld isn’t readily available for macOS users, but that didn’t stop us from finding ways to enjoy this exciting game on our Mac computers. Determined to find a solution, we looked for ways to make the game accessible on our Apple machines and, throughout our exploration, we came across five methods to play Palworld on Mac. To help you select between these options, we’ve tested each method ourselves and documented our experiences and impressions along the way. So, whether you’re seeking a seamless gaming experience or you are simply curious about the available options, stay with us and discover the Palworld Mac method that best suits your preferences.

How To Play Palworld on Mac

In this section, we’re thrilled to share the methods to play Palworld on Mac we experimented with. From our firsthand impressions to the effectiveness of each approach, below, we’ll provide you with all the insights you need to start your own Palworld Mac adventure.

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

  • The best value 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 see if the game is supported by your chosen vendor

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

Boosteorid offers Mac users an excellent gaming experience, especially for those who aren’t highly competitive. Therefore, this method is great for people who want to enjoy gaming on their Apple devices without facing any major issues. With Boosteorid, you get impressive graphics and smooth performance, which is what makes it a popular choice among gamers.

Play With Boosteroid

  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 to 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: Steam; check for a discount on Cdkeys.com.
In-depth Boosteroid Setup instructions
Xbox Game Pass/Xbox Cloud Gaming

Features: Access to hundreds of games without the need to purchase them individually. Ability to play the Game Pass titles on any device through the Xbox Cloud Gaming service.

Pros

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

Cons

  • Requires good Internet for its cloud-gaming
  • Controls are console-based, emulated for mouse an keyboard.
  • Available in few countries.

Step 1: Subscribe to Game Pass

If you want to play games using Xbox Cloud Gaming, first, you have to become a member of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate club. Just hit the button below, then click on “Join,” sign up with your Microsoft account, and follow the steps that pop up on your screen.

Play With Game Pass

You can play without cloud gaming by following with the Parallels or Boot Camp Methods.

Step 2: Play with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Optional)

This step is optional, and you should perform it only if you want to play through the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Go to the Xbox site and click on the Game Pass menu. After that, click on Xbox Cloud Gaming, and then select Join Now. Search for the game in the search bar, select it, and click on Play with Cloud Gaming.

  • It is important to note that playing games through Xbox Cloud requires a controller. So, if you don’t have one, then install this extension to your Edge/Chrome browser, enable it, and then click in the center of your screen once the game starts to begin using it.
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: Steam; check for a discount on Cdkeys.com

Parallels is a software that lets you create a virtual Windows computer on your Mac. It’s relatively easy to set up and more stable compared to other options like CrossOver. However, using Parallels means your Mac has to handle both macOS and Windows simultaneously, which can affect its performance, especially when playing games.

Play With Parallels

In-depth Parallels setup instructions
CrossOver + the Game Porting Toolkit

Pros

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

Cons

  • Takes time to set up
  • Takes tons of storage

Note: You need to own the game before you proceed with this method. Here are links to the game for different vendors: Steam; check for a discount on Cdkeys.com

Running Windows games on a Mac is made possible by Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit (GPTK). GPTK is powerful but can be complicated to set up and requires some technical commands. Pairing it with CrossOver, however, makes the process smoother and more user-friendly, simplifying game installation and setup.

1. Visit the CrossOver site by clicking the button below, and download and install CrossOver.

Get CrossOver

2. Open CrossOver and create a new Bottle from the Bottle menu.

3. Right-click the newly-created bottle, click Install Software in Bottle, and then search for and install Steam (or another game launcher if you own the game elsewhere).

4. Make sure that D3DMetal option is enabled if you are about to play a DirectX 11 or 12 game, and then launch and log into Steam, find the game in your library, install it, and click Play.

In-depth CrossOver + Game Porting Toolkit Guide
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: Steam; check for a discount on Cdkeys.com

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

  • Boot Camp Assistant is a reliable method for running Windows games on your Mac without encountering crashes or other issues. It’s free to use, except for the cost of the game itself.
  • However, Boot Camp requires a significant amount of hard drive space and only works on Intel-based Macs, not the newer Apple Silicon models. Additionally, setting up Boot Camp can be time-consuming, so be prepared to invest some time into the process.
Boot Camp setup instructions

If you prefer to view the instructions for each method in the form of a video, be sure to check out our detailed video guide on how to play Palworld on Mac:

Our Palworld MacBook Experience With Boosteroid: How good is this cloud gaming method?

In response to numerous requests from the gaming community, Palworld is now available on Boosteroid, offering players an additional and hasstle-free option to enjoy their favorite game. We couldn’t miss the chance to test this, and we have to say that our Palworld MacBook adventure, powered by Boosteroid, was truly delightful. With its user-friendly interface, getting started on this cloud gaming platfrom was a breeze – a simple login followed by selecting the game had us immersing ourselves in the captivating world of Palworld in no time.

As for performance, Boosteroid maintained a consistent frame rate of 60 frames per second (FPS), providing us with smooth gameplay throughout. The visuals, set at a maximum resolution of 1080p, offered crisp and clear imagery on our MacBook screen. Despite encountering a slight delay, it had minimal impact on our gaming experience. What’s even more impressive is that Boosteroid’s settings adjusted seamlessly to ensure smooth gameplay without compromising visual quality. So, overall, our Palworld MacBook experience with Boosteroid was stable and enjoyable, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the game without fretting over technical glitches.

Our Palworld MacBook Experience With Boosteroid
Our Palworld MacBook Experience With Boosteroid

Pal World Mac Performance with Xbox Game Pass

The Pal World Mac performance on Xbox Game Pass was quite good in our experience. One notable aspect was its simplicity – just like with Boosteroid, there was no need to go through the hassle of installing the game because the service was live streaming it. The gameplay ran smoothly, maintaining a frame rate of around 55-60 FPS, which ensured fluid movements and vibrant visuals within the game’s world. Streaming Palworld at 1080p resolution via Xbox Game Pass offered clear details and vivid colors, that enhanced the overall gaming experience.

However, we did encounter a minor delay of about 50-60 milliseconds. This resulted in a slight lag between our actions (such as pressing a button) and their execution in the game. While noticeable, this delay didn’t significantly detract from the gameplay and, for us, Xbox Game Pass proved to be a reliable and convenient Pal World Mac option for playing, with the game’s settings automatically optimized to deliver optimal performance.

Palworld for Mac with Parallels

Parallels is a widely-used software that enables you to create a Windows-like environment on your Mac, which opens up the possibility of running games typically designed for Windows on a Mac machine. However, while this presents a promising solution of running Palworld for Mac, the actual performance of the game may fall short of expectations unless your Mac boasts the latest hardware and substantial processing power. Moreover, feedback from fellow gamers on platforms like Reddit highlights instances of encountering a frustrating black screen error when attempting to load the game through Parallels. Despite these potential challenges, we encourage those intrigued by this approach to give Parallels a try and contribute their experiences to the gaming community by sharing their thoughts in the comments section below.

Can You Play Palworld On Mac With Crossover+GPTK?

CrossOver offers users another potential avenue for playing Palworld on Mac. It functions by translating Windows commands into Mac commands, which eliminates the need to install the entire Windows operating system on your Mac.

So, we decided to give Palworld a try on our trusty M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro using CrossOver 23 with the Steam Early Access version of the game. To start off, we tinkered with the graphics settings, opting for the lowest possible and a resolution of 1512×982. Unfortunately, what we found wasn’t too promising. The game ran at a somewhat choppy frame rate, fluctuating between 25 and 35 FPS. Even when we switched to a 720p resolution in windowed mode, the overall experience still fell short of our expectations even though there was a slight improvement with FPS ranging between 30 and 40.

Play Palworld On Mac With Crossover+GPTK
Play Palworld On Mac With Crossover+GPTK

We also tested the game at fullscreen, hoping for a smoother performance. However, we were met with disappointment as the FPS averaged around 20, making the gameplay quite choppy, especially in open areas where FPS dropped even further. Although playing at a lower resolution might have improved FPS slightly, it compromised the visual quality, which wasn’t ideal for an immersive gaming experience. Overall, while technically you can play Palworld on Mac with Crossover, we wouldn’t exactly call it a smooth or enjoyable experience, especially considering our M1 Pro’s capabilities. It’s worth noting also that Palworld may not run smoothly on machines with less than 16 GB of RAM, so a powerful Mac is recommended for testing this method.

Palworld MacOS Limitations with Boot Camp

With the shift to Apple Silicon processors in newer Macs, the use of Boot Camp as a tool that allows you to run Windows on your Mac has declined. So, if you still wish to have a Palworld MacOS experience using Boot Camp, you’ll need a robust Mac with an Intel chip, such as a Mac Pro or a high-end iMac. Additionally, you’ll require sufficient free disk space and some time to complete the setup process. However, even with a powerful Intel-based Mac, the Palworld MacOS performance may be far from impressive. Still, if you’re fortunate enough to own a high-end Intel Mac and want to give Boot Camp a try, the instructions above will offer assistance in setting it up.

Will there be Palworld Mac OS version anytime soon?

Palworld is currently in its early development phase, which means that the game not yet a finished product, and there’s uncertainty about whether it will support Mac in the future. The creators have stated that Palworld will remain in this early stage for about a year, so it’s unclear when the final version will be available either. Early access allows players to experience the game as it’s being developed, with the current version already featuring over 100 different Pals but, as the development progresses, the developers plan to introduce more content, and enhance various aspects of the game. So, while there’s no guarantee, there’s hope that an official Palworld Mac OS version may also be launched in the future.

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