Key Takeaways
1. The selection of games on macOS is smaller than on Windows, but notable titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed Shadows are now available.
2. Cyberpunk 2077 performs 68% better in native mode on the MacBook Pro 16 with M4 Max compared to the emulated version.
3. Gaming performance on the M4 Max is comparable to Windows laptops with mobile GeForce RTX 5060 and some RTX 5070 models.
4. Native Cyberpunk 2077 shows 46% better efficiency compared to the emulated version and outperforms many Windows laptops in similar performance brackets.
5. While the MacBook Pro 16 with M4 Max is not ideal solely for gaming, it offers a solid gaming experience alongside other tasks with less fan noise.
Gaming on Macs is still a bit of a complicated issue, as the selection of games is significantly smaller than on Windows. There are some well-known AAA games available for macOS, such as Resident Evil 7, Civilization 7, Baldur’s Gate 3, and No Man’s Sky. Recently, we’ve seen the addition of Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed Shadows, both of which come with built-in benchmarks. This is perfect for comparing performance with Windows systems. It also helps in assessing efficiency, as Cyberpunk 2077 is our go-to game for laptop reviews. We evaluated both titles on the MacBook Pro 16 equipped with the powerful M4 Max SoC.
Performance Testing
We were eager to discover how the Cyberpunk 2077 version designed for Mac compares to the emulated version we previously tested using CrossOver on the MacBook Pro 16. When looking at our standard benchmark settings (1080p Low, Medium, High, Ultra, QHD, and 4K), the native version shows a performance edge of 68%. Notably, the 1080p and QHD settings revealed significant enhancements, but the 4K performance remained nearly the same. Nevertheless, 4K is not playable and needs MetalFX upscaling, which allowed us to boost the frame rate from 23.6 to 34.1 fps (quality setting).
Game Experiences
Cyberpunk 2077 performs impressively on the MacBook Pro 16 with the M4 Max, even at high detail levels. The Raytracing Ultra setting is playable at QHD resolution with a frame rate of 37 fps. When Apple releases its version of frame generation, it should further enhance the performance. On the other hand, Assassin’s Creed Shadows requires more from the hardware. The Ultra High setting only manages around 30 fps, and there’s not much difference between 1080p and QHD. However, the High preset runs smoother at about 50 fps.
When compared to Windows laptops, the performance is similar to machines featuring fast versions of the mobile GeForce RTX 5060 with a TGP of 100 Watts. Slower models with an 80 Watts TGP fall behind. The M4 Max can also outperform the slower RTX 5070 Laptop versions, such as the 60W model found in the Dell 16 Premium. AMD’s Strix Halo with the Radeon 8060s also offers a slight performance advantage.
Efficiency Comparison
As mentioned earlier, the native version of Cyberpunk 2077 provides the opportunity to evaluate gaming efficiency against Windows laptops. Measurements were taken while the laptop was connected to an external display, ensuring that the internal screen did not impact the results. Initially, we noticed that the efficiency of the native Cyberpunk 2077 was 46% better than the emulated version.
When stacked against Windows laptops, Apple’s M4 Max manages to outperform almost all competitors with similar performance metrics, except for the slower 60W variant of the GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop in the Dell 16 Premium, which is roughly on par.
Despite the limited game selection on macOS compared to Windows, native titles perform remarkably well on the M4 Max, offering gaming experiences comparable to the mobile GeForce RTX 5060 or slightly slower versions of the RTX 5070. The M4 Max also sidesteps VRAM limitations since the GPU can utilize system memory.
Conclusion
In conclusion, purchasing the MacBook Pro 16 with the M4 Max solely for gaming might not be the best idea. However, if you require it for other tasks and wish to enjoy gaming occasionally, it handles native titles quite effectively. The efficiency outshines that of similarly powerful Windows laptops, and it typically operates with less fan noise.
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