Can You Play Resident Evil 4 on Mac?

Resident Evil 4 is a cornerstone of the survival horror genre, but despite its popularity, at the time of this writing, the game doesn’t have official support for macOS. This means Mac users who want to dive into this thrilling adventure have to look beyond traditional methods. Fortunately, cloud gaming platforms like Boosteroid offer a workaround and provide an opportunity to experience this iconic game on Mac. Here, we’ll share our experience with playing Resident Evil 4 on Mac with Boosteroid and discuss other potential methods.

The Resident Evil 4 macOS method that we tested

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.

Unless you’re a competitive gamer, Boosteroid stands out as our top choice for Mac gaming. It’s the ideal method for those seeking a hassle-free and enjoyable gaming experience on their Apple machines, that delivers impressive visuals and performance.

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 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: Steam, CD Keys.
In-depth Boosteroid Setup instructions
Resident Evil 4 fight scene on MacOS

Our Resident Evil 4 Mac Experience with the Boosteroid Method

Our test with playing Resident Evil 4 for Mac led us to Boosteroid, a cloud gaming service that streams the game directly to our device. Our setup included a stable internet connection of 40 Mbps, which comfortably met (and exceeded) Boosteroid’s minimum requirements. The game streamed at a resolution of 1080p and maintained a consistent 60 FPS, bringing Leon’s harrowing journey to life with impressive clarity and smoothness.

The graphics were sharp and detailed, capturing the eerie atmosphere of Resident Evil 4 perfectly and, despite occasional internet-related lag spikes, the gameplay remained largely unaffected. We navigated through intense combat and puzzle-solving with minimal latency, which was crucial for maintaining the game’s immersive experience. This setup provided a balance of visual fidelity and performance, making Boosteroid an excellent choice for users looking to play Resident Evil 4 on Mac.

Limitations with GeForce Now, Parallels and CrossOver

It’s worth noting that Resident Evil 4 is not available on GeForce Now, so our comparison was limited to Boosteroid. Additionally, playing Resident Evil 4 using Parallels or Crossover + GPTK on Mac is not feasible due to compatibility issues. Specifically, the game requires DirectX 12, which Parallels currently does not support, particularly on Apple Silicon Macs. With the Game Porting Toolkit, the issue is that sparse buffer features used in the Windows version of Resident Evil 4 are not supported by Metal, which further complicates compatibility with macOS.

Resident Evil 4 on Mac with Game Porting Toolkit

Resident Evil 4 on Mac with Boot Camp

While we didn’t test Resident Evil 4 using Boot Camp, our research indicates that this method could potentially work, especially on Intel-based Macs. Boot Camp allows the installation of Windows on Mac, creating an environment suitable for running Windows games like Resident Evil 4. However, this method is limited to Intel-based Macs and might not be suitable for newer Apple Silicon models.

The Best Way to Play Resident Evil 4 on Mac

Based on our experience, streaming Resident Evil 4 on Mac via Boosteroid is a highly effective and enjoyable way to play the game. The platform’s performance in terms of FPS, resolution, and overall gaming experience was impressive, making it our top recommendation. However, we cannot conclude this article without mentioning that, after an extended period of anticipation, Capcom has officially confirmed that Resident Evil 4 will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This exciting development is scheduled for December 20, 2023, and marks a significant expansion of the game’s accessibility to a wider range of devices, particularly for Apple users. Until this release happens, though, gamers who are eager to experience the thrills of Resident Evil 4 for Mac can turn to cloud gaming platforms like Boosteroid as a viable alternative.