An example of gaming on a Mac – Image Credit: Apple
Game Porting Toolkit 2, the latest version of Apple’s tool to help bring more Windows games to Mac, is finally out of beta.
The second generation Game Porting Toolkit was introduced at WWDC 2024, bringing with it enhanced tools to support game developers. Seven months later, the tool is no longer in beta.
Checking the Downloads page of Apple’s Developer site reveals an update on January 15, 2025. The listing for Game Porting Toolkit is not marked with the “beta” name, meaning it is out of beta and intended to be used by all relevant developers.
The Game Porting Toolkit 2.0 DMG file weighs in at 82.37 megabytes.
Development buffs
The Game Porting Toolkit is intended as a way for developers to bring games made on Windows to Apple’s platforms. The core of its functionality is emulation, with it capable of making a Windows game work under macOS.
This emulation isn’t intended to be a way to actually port games, but really it’s to give developers guidance before any real resources are used to port it over to macOS. Under the second generation, the emulation includes improved graphics and compute compatibility, increased performance, and support for ray tracing and the AVX2 instruction set, among others.
It also offers the opportunity to debug and profile games while under evaluation, using Metal tools like Metal HUD, Metal GPU capture, and Metal System Trace.
For some players, it has become another way to emulate games on macOS, albeit not one intended by Apple.
The toolkit also includes other elements to help developers, including an expanded set of Human Interface Guidelines for making the game support Apple’s different from factors. Code examples are also provided, including demonstrating ways to deploy a Windows game on Mac, then to iPhone and iPad.
There’s also elements such as Metal-cpp to leverage a team’s existing C++ expertise to use the Metal API, a Metal shader converter, and Metal Developer Tools for Windows.
A gradually better gaming destination
The exiting of Game Porting Toolkit 2 from beta is a continuation of Apple’s rising support for gaming in general, as Mac gradually becomes more of a gaming platform.
Apple already benefits from major titles making its way to macOS, as well as other platforms, with others still to come. Games such as Resident Evil 2‘s remake, Death Stranding, and Hades II supporting Apple Silicon are signs that Mac is being taken seriously by developers.
With other big hitters such as Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition and Control Ultimate Edition soon to arrive on the platform, that should help make more developers take notice of the often-derided gaming capabilities of macOS.
There have also been rumors Apple is working on more ways to encourage gaming on its platforms. It was claimed in October that a new game-focused version of the App Store is under development, combining aspects of both the digital storefront and Game Center.
