Summary
- A dedicated gaming MacBook would need to pack a proper VRR screen, capable of adjusting its refresh rate in 1Hz increments for a smooth gaming experience, and not a ProMotion display.
- Upgradable storage, typically lacking in Macs, would be essential for a gaming model to avoid hefty upgrade costs.
- Custom Apple Silicon chips focused on strong GPU performance would be crucial for a gaming Mac, along with at least two USB-A ports.
Apple has been on a macOS gaming offensive for a while. It released the Game Porting Kit, an upscaler in the form of MetalFX, macOS got Game Mode, and the App Store offers triple-A games. Could a dedicated gaming Mac be next, and if so, what would it look like? Perhaps something like this.
A Proper VRR Screen Is a Must for a Gaming MacBook
Newer MacBook Pro models packing 120Hz screens support ProMotion, but while ProMotion is a handy feature, it isn’t a proper VRR solution.
Both FreeSync and G-Sync can adjust their refresh rate in 1Hz increments. For example, if a game runs at 60FPS and then performance drops to 59FPS, a VRR monitor will adjust its refresh rate from 60Hz to 59Hz, and the motion will remain smooth.
A ProMotion display, on the other hand, cannot adjust its refresh rate in exact 1Hz steps. It looks like ProMotion displays can only adjust refresh rates in ~4ms steps. This results in noticeable stuttering when playing games with variable refresh rates because ProMotion displays cannot match their refresh rate exactly to the in-game framerate.
If Apple ends up releasing a dedicated gaming MacBook, it would have to equip it with a proper VRR display capable of matching in-game refresh rates in 1Hz increments, which for a 120Hz display would equal 8.33333333ms, or 4.16666667ms, and not 4ms.
Whether the company augments the ProMotion tech to match FreeSync or G-Sync, develops a new VRR technology or incorporates an existing solution is up to them. However, whichever option they choose, a dedicated gaming MacBook must feature a true VRR display.
That said, if I were a gamer looking to upgrade to a high-end MacBook made for gaming, I’d also want a faster display. 240Hz looks to be the standard in newer high-end gaming laptops, and I think a gaming MacBook should come with at least a 240Hz display as well.
It Has to Come With Upgradable Storage
Upgradable storage is not a hallmark of Apple’s computers, but the company would have to consider its stance on this when creating a gaming Mac. While I understand you cannot upgrade memory on Apple Silicon Macs because it is unified (located on the same package as the SoC), this isn’t the case with storage, which uses the same M.2 slots PCs use.
I doubt that many gamers, Apple fans or otherwise, would pay $1,200 for 4TB of storage, the price Apple charges to bump up storage from 512GB to 4TB in the 14-inch MacBook Pro at the moment of writing.
Apple MacBook Pro (16-Inch, M4 Pro)
$2229 $2499 Save
$270
Secondly, many PC gamers, and nowadays even console gamers, end up upgrading their storage once they find out how much space modern games take. I started with a 1TB SSD in my current rig. But after a while, I got another 1TB drive because I couldn’t get by with only 1TB of storage space.
In other words, Apple would have to include at least one empty M.2 slot in its gaming Mac. And while modern Macs are notorious for offering zero upgradability and being next to impossible to open, a simple plastic or metal latch that hides the M.2 slot would work just fine, similar to what Microsoft included on certain Surface devices.
This way, Apple wouldn’t have to make the bottom cover of the gaming MacBook removable while offering upgradable storage. Would the Cupertino giant actually do this? It’s unlikely, but Apple would have to make storage upgradable in some form if it ever thinks about truly appealing to the gamer crowd.
Custom, GPU-Centric Apple Silicon Chips
Apple Silicon CPUs are objectively impressive. Sipping at power while providing bonkers levels of CPU performance. Apple Silicon iGPUs are also quite impressive, but the most potent iGPU configurations are reserved for Max and Ultra Apple Silicon variants.
Considering that the GPU is more important than the CPU for gaming, Apple would have to do something about its M chips. Even the binned M4 Pro, which packs a CPU cluster with eight performance cores, is more than enough for gaming. However, the 16-core and 20-core GPUs found in different M4 Pro variants aren’t enough for high-end gaming, which the gaming Mac would most likely target.
If Apple were to debut a dedicated gaming Mac, the machine would most likely have to be powered by a custom M chip design that focuses on delivering as much GPU performance as possible while packing just enough CPU power for gaming needs. The base version of the gaming machine could pack six CPU performance cores; the mid-range variant could include eight P cores, while the high-end flavor could feature no more than 10 or 12 P cores.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t expect anything less than 20 GPU cores at the low end, which should be enough for a stable 60FPS performance in newer triple-A games with high settings applied. The upgraded model would need to pack 40 GPU cores, equivalent to the M4 Max, enough for high-refresh-rate gaming with high or ultra visuals.
A potential flagship version of the gaming Mac could come with a whopping 80 GPU cores, found on Ultra versions of Apple Silicon chips, but this would be hard to pull off in practice.
Considering just how hard it is to create these chips, which have to be perfect specimens not only when it comes to CPU and GPU cores, but also feature immaculate silicon interposers used to fuse two chips to create a single Ultra behemoth, a gaming variant of the Apple Silicon Ultra chip would likely have to be a binned part with some of the CPU cores, even GPU cores, deactivated. The end result could be something like 10-12 CPU performance cores coupled with 60-80 GPU cores.
This way, Apple could reserve the best Apple Silicon specimens for creating Ultra chips powering non-gaming machines, while using defects to create Ultra chips for the gaming Mac.
A Gaming Mac Needs at Least Two USB-A Ports
At the moment, the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are the only Apple computers featuring USB-A ports. But that would have to change with the debut of a dedicated gaming Mac. A Gaming Mac, desktop, or laptop, should pack at least two USB-A ports.
Every gaming mouse, whether wired or wireless, regular or ultralight, uses the USB-A standard. And no one likes dongles. While many mechanical keyboards come with USB-C ports, allowing you to use a USB-C-to-USB-C cable, wireless keyboards come with receivers that use the USB-A standard.
In the case of a gaming MacBook, you’d have to disconnect the wireless receiver every time you move the machine because you cannot chuck the thing inside a backpack with a long USB-A-to-USB-C dongle protruding out of it. But with USB-A ports, you’d be able to connect the wireless dongle and just leave it there because most wireless receivers are as thin as dimes.
And yes, even the dedicated gaming MacBook should pack multiple USB-A ports. Many MacBook owners use the machine as a desktop workstation, so why wouldn’t gamers follow the same approach?
What About the Form Factor?
Regarding the form factor, a dedicated gaming MacBook could use the same design as the current MacBook Pros in 14 and 16-inch flavors, with the only additions being USB-A ports and an SSD latch at the bottom.
Apple Mac Mini (M4)
$529 $599 Save
$70
- Brand
-
Apple
- Storage
-
256GB
- CPU
-
Apple M4 10-Core
- Memory
-
16GB
As for the desktop gaming Mac, the low-end model could come in the same, under-the-TV-friendly case the M4 Mac Mini uses. If Apple can prevent the chip inside the chassis from thermal throttling, even a mid-range model could use the same enclosure.
But the high-end model, the one packing a binned variant of an Apple Silicon Ultra chip, would most likely either have to use the same chassis as the Mac Studio, or a similar case older Mac Mini machines utilize.
Personally, I’d opt for the latter option since it would make the machine thin enough to fit inside most under-the-TV shelves while including enough space for a potent cooling solution.
Lastly, a healthy dose of RGB is a must in every gaming machine. If Apple actually releases a dedicated gaming Mac and doesn’t turn the Apple logo into an RGB light show, I’d consider it an utter failure.
In all seriousness, I don’t believe Apple will release a dedicated gaming Mac anytime soon. In many aspects, a “true gaming” Mac isn’t such a good idea. But if we do end up seeing it, a proper VRR screen, if we’re talking about a gaming MacBook, upgradable storage, and multiple USB-A ports are a must.
