One of the most disappointing things about gaming is the fact that sometimes you might get a game and find that it doesn’t run on your system for whatever reason. This does not only apply to hardware issues, but it can also apply to software, like your operating system.
We all know Mac to be a bit finicky when it comes to running games, and you might be worried that you can’t play Overwatch on a Mac. Well, don’t worry because we are here to answer all of your questions and tell you exactly if Overwatch can run on a Mac!
Let’s take a look.
Can You Play Overwatch On A Mac?
Kinda. Mac doesn’t officially support Overwatch so you can’t technically play it on that platform, but you can use an emulator to create a Windows-like environment where Overwatch can run properly. There are more methods of making this work, which we will cover below.
How To Play Overwatch On A Mac
Even though the game is not supported by Mac, you have a few methods of making the game work anyway. There are two primary methods – using software called Parallels and playing the game in your browser. Let’s see what you can do here.
Boosteroid
The first method we have for you is using an app called Boosteroid that runs the game executable in your browser window so it is not bottlenecked by Mac. There are a few steps to making this work, so let’s get started.
- Go to the Boosteroid site and either register on the site itself or download the desktop app. There is a paywall, to be clear
- On the Boosteroid site, search for Overwatch
- Click on Play. Keep in mind that you have to be subscribed to the Boosteroid service to save any game to Cloud Gaming
- From there, you can simply start Overwatch from the library and it should run in the browser window the app is in normally
That’s all for Boosteroid. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if it is Cloud Gaming or not Overwatch is still a multiplayer game and you require a strong, stable Internet connection for everything to run smoothly. If you don’t have this, then just move on to the next method.
Parallels
Parallels is a piece of software that creates a virtual version of Windows on your computer that behaves in the same way Windows usually should, only on a Mac. Convenient, right? The process of setting Parallels is fairly simple and anyone can do it!
- Go to the official Parallels website and download the program to your computer
- From there, go to the official Windows website and download the necessary version of Windows depending on your Mac version
M1 Mac: This page for Windows 11 VHDX
Intel Mac: This page for the basic 64x version of Windows - Create your account in the Parallels program
- Run the version of Windows you downloaded inside Parallels
- On the Windows virtual machine that has just opened, download Overwatch and enjoy!
There, this method has a few more steps compared to the first one, but don’t worry. There is a very small chance of anything going wrong, and all of these steps can be easily followed by anyone. The only thing to keep in mind is that the second method also has a paywall.
Will Overwatch 2 Be Available On Mac?
It is only natural to assume that the newest edition of a game is going to be supported by more platforms, but for Overwatch 2, that is unfortunately not the case. The game has been announced to be supported only on Windows-based PCs. As far as we know, the aforementioned methods of getting Overwatch on a Mac should still work for Overwatch 2.
Which Platforms Support Overwatch?
Overwatch is a very popular game and because of that, it is available on quite a few platforms. This means that the game is much more accessible to a broader range of gamers, and here are all of the platforms that you can run Overwatch on:
- Playstation 4
- Xbox One
- Microsoft Windows
- Nintendo Switch
- Playstation 5
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Wrapping Up
Now you have all of the information you need to safely and securely run Overwatch on your Mac. We understand that the paywalls and the tedious process of setting things up might be annoying, but that is just how it is. At least when you’re playing the game, it will be worth it. We hope that you are satisfied with the information provided and that all of your questions have been answered!
