M4 MacBook Air (15-inch) Gaming Review: 15 Games Tested – The Brutal Truth
Can Apple’s Fanless Wonder Handle Demanding Games?
Excited by the M4 chip’s power, gamer Alex hoped the new Air could finally be a decent gaming machine. We put the 15-inch M4 Air (10-core GPU, 16GB RAM) through its paces with 15 demanding titles, both native and via CrossOver. The brutal truth? While initial performance is impressive, the fanless design leads to significant thermal throttling. Sustained high frame rates in AAA games are often unachievable without compromising settings or relying on upscaling like MetalFX, which can have visual drawbacks. It can play games, but expect heat, throttling, and the need for careful settings management.
Throttle City: Why Your M4 MacBook Air HATES Long Gaming Sessions
The Heat is On (And Performance is Off)
Sarah starts Death Stranding on her M4 Air, thrilled by the smooth 60fps. Twenty minutes later, it’s chugging in the low 40s. What happened? Welcome to Throttle City. The M4 Air lacks a fan, relying entirely on passive cooling. Intense gaming generates significant heat the chassis struggles to dissipate over time. To prevent overheating, the system automatically reduces the M4 chip’s performance (“throttles”). This causes the noticeable drop in frame rates during longer gaming sessions, a consistent theme across demanding titles tested, making sustained high performance a major challenge.
M4 Air Gaming: Is 60fps a Myth? Why 30fps is Your Best Friend
Chasing Frames on a Fanless Machine
Many gamers chase that smooth 60fps target. On the M4 Air, achieving it initially is often possible in games like Death Stranding or Resident Evil 4 (with MetalFX). However, due to inevitable thermal throttling after 10-20 minutes, maintaining a locked 60fps becomes difficult, leading to frustrating dips and inconsistent gameplay. The tester consistently found that capping the frame rate at 30fps allowed for higher graphical settings (like Very High in Death Stranding) and provided a much more consistent, stable experience while also preventing the laptop from getting excessively hot.
Death Stranding on M4 Air (16GB): Native 30fps High vs MetalFX 60fps Low?
Balancing Fidelity and Fluidity
Playing Death Stranding presents a choice. David could enable MetalFX temporal upscaling on default settings for a near-60fps experience, but the upscaling visuals aren’t perfect, and throttling still causes dips. Alternatively, he could disable MetalFX, run at native 1080p with Very High graphics, but cap the frame rate at 30fps. This provides a stable, visually richer experience without excessive heat. The tester preferred the locked 30fps/Very High approach for consistency and visual quality, accepting the lower frame rate to avoid throttling and MetalFX artifacts.
Cyberpunk 2077 on M4 Air via CrossOver: Playable or Painful? (FSR 3 + Frame Gen Test)
Pushing the Boundaries of Emulation
Running Cyberpunk 2077 (a non-native Windows game) on the M4 Air via CrossOver 25 is a technical feat. Using AMD FSR 3 (Balanced) and Frame Generation boosted the frame rate from a dismal ~22fps at Medium settings to a more respectable ~54fps. However, “playable” is subjective. The tester noted significant visual artifacts from Frame Gen and concluded the experience wasn’t ideal. While impressive that it runs, the recommendation is to wait for the (potential) native Mac port rather than rely on this translated version for an enjoyable playthrough.
Can the M4 Air REALLY Run Red Dead Redemption 2? (CrossOver Reality Check)
A Technical Marvel, Not a Good Time
Seeing Red Dead Redemption 2 boot up on a thin M4 MacBook Air via CrossOver 25 is undeniably cool. But can you actually play it enjoyably? The reality check: running at 1080p low settings with AMD FSR 2 (Balanced), performance is far from smooth or stable. The tester stressed this is a technical achievement by CodeWeavers, not a recommended way to experience the game. It requires significant patience and tolerance for low/inconsistent frame rates. For acceptable RDR2 performance on Mac, a Pro or Max chip is necessary.
The Last of Us Part 1 on a MacBook Air?! M4 + CrossOver Insanity Test
A Favorite Game Meets Translation Hurdles
For fans like the tester whose favorite game is The Last of Us Part 1, getting it running on an M4 Air via CrossOver 25 is exciting… initially. Despite using low graphics, AMD FSR 3.1 (Balanced), Frame Generation, and attempting a 30fps cap (which didn’t work correctly), the experience suffered from issues. While technically functional, it’s not recommended for actual play due to performance inconsistencies and translation layer problems. It’s a testament to CrossOver’s capability but highlights the need for native ports for truly great experiences.
Resident Evil 4 M4 Air Performance & Stuttering Issues Explained
Promising Performance Plagued by Bugs
Resident Evil 4, a demanding native title, initially hits ~60fps on the M4 Air using the ‘Prioritize Performance’ preset. However, like other AAA games, it throttles down to ~40fps after 10-20 minutes. More concerningly, the tester encountered persistent, annoying micro-stuttering, regardless of settings or using MetalFX (which also suffers from poor image quality, especially on Leon’s hair). While MetalFX can boost frame rates back towards 60fps, the current stuttering issue and throttling make achieving a smooth, consistent experience difficult on the M4 Air.
Resident Evil 2 Runs GREAT on M4 Air… Until it Throttles
A Glimmer of Hope, Tempered by Heat
Good news for fans: Resident Evil 2, being older and less demanding than RE4, runs significantly better on the M4 Air. At 1080p ‘Prioritize Performance’, it maintains over 60fps for extended periods. Enabling MetalFX (Quality), which looks better here than in RE4, pushes performance even higher. However, the fanless curse remains. While it takes longer, the M4 Air will eventually throttle, potentially impacting that smooth 60fps. Consistent locked 60fps isn’t guaranteed long-term, but it’s far more achievable than in more demanding titles.
Lies of P on M4 Air: Good Performance Ruined by Stutter?
Frame Pacing Problems Hinder Combat
Lies of P, a game heavily reliant on precise timing for parrying, needs stable performance. While the M4 Air can push decent frame rates, the tester encountered significant, random stuttering and frame pacing issues, similar to RE4. Even capping the frame rate didn’t fully resolve the inconsistent feeling. This is particularly detrimental in a demanding action game like Lies of P. Until these stuttering issues are potentially patched, the game, while technically performant at times, offers a frustrating experience on the M4 Air due to inconsistency.
Baldur’s Gate 3 on M4 Air: Why This Amazing Game Runs Terribly on Mac
A Tale of Lost Optimization
Baldur’s Gate 3, a massive RPG success, should be a flagship Mac title. Sadly, its performance on the M4 Air (and Macs generally) is described as “terrible.” The tester attributes this to Larian Studios reportedly stopping work with Elverils, the team that initially optimized the port well. AMD FSR upscaling looks “dreadful” and muddy, and even attempting 900p High settings with a 30fps cap resulted in dips into the low 20s. It’s a deeply disappointing situation where a fantastic game suffers from poor current optimization on capable hardware.
Palworld on M4 Air: Surprisingly Playable? (FPS & Settings Tested)
Unexpected Performance in Early Access
Testing Palworld yielded interesting, albeit inconsistent results. Playing at Medium settings, the tester experienced around 35-40fps, noting the laptop got quite hot. Comparing notes live with someone on an M4 Mac Mini (using lower settings and MetalFX) hitting ~60fps highlighted the Air’s thermal limitations. Frame rates fluctuated heavily depending on the environment and number of “Pals” on screen, sometimes dropping significantly. While playable to some extent, achieving stable performance requires compromises, and it clearly benefits from the active cooling of other M4 Macs.
M4 Air vs M4 Mac Mini/Pro Gaming: The HUGE Difference a Fan Makes
Sustained Performance Needs Cooling
Why does an M4 Mac Mini or MacBook Pro run games so much better than the identically-specced M4 Air? The answer is simple: fans. The transcript clearly shows (using RE4/Death Stranding time-lapses) how the fanless M4 Air’s performance tanks dramatically over 20 minutes due to heat buildup and throttling. Actively cooled Macs like the Mini or Pro can sustain higher performance levels for much longer because the fan dissipates heat, preventing severe throttling. This makes them far superior for any extended gaming session.
Forget High Settings: How to ACTUALLY Game on the M4 MacBook Air
Managing Expectations for Fanless Play
Dreaming of Ultra settings at 60fps on your M4 Air? Forget it for demanding games. The key is managing expectations and settings strategically. Prioritize stable frame rates over visual fidelity. Often, this means aiming for a locked 30fps, which allows for higher native resolutions or graphical settings (like 1080p Very High in Death Stranding) without severe throttling. Utilize MetalFX cautiously for frame boosts, being mindful of visual quality. For many AAA titles, low-to-medium settings and accepting performance compromises are necessary for a playable fanless experience.
MetalFX on M4 Air: Worth the Visual Hit for Extra FPS?
Apple’s Upscaling Dilemma
MetalFX, Apple’s upscaling tech, promises higher frame rates. In testing, it often delivered, pushing games like Death Stranding towards 60fps. However, the visual quality varies. MetalFX temporal upscaling (used in RE4) was described as “disgusting,” particularly affecting details like hair. Temporal in Death Stranding looked better than spatial in GRID Legends. It’s a trade-off: gain performance, but potentially sacrifice noticeable image clarity or introduce artifacts. Whether the FPS boost is worth the visual compromise depends heavily on the specific game’s implementation and personal tolerance.
CrossOver 25 Gaming on M4 Air: Potential vs Practicality
Bridging the Gap with Compromises
CrossOver 25 enables running Windows games like Cyberpunk 2077, RDR2, The Last of Us, and Street Fighter 6 on the M4 Air – a technical marvel by CodeWeavers. It even supports features like FSR 3 and Frame Generation. However, the practicality is limited. Performance is often inconsistent, requires significant tweaking, suffers from translation layer overhead, and visual artifacts can occur. While exciting to see these games run, the tester generally found the experience subpar compared to native play and wouldn’t recommend relying on CrossOver for an optimal gaming experience on the Air.
GRID Legends M4 Air Test: Optimized Performance by Feral Interactive
Proof of Good Porting Matters
GRID Legends, ported by Feral Interactive, stands out. Even at 1080p Medium, it achieved a solid ~53fps, and ~57fps with MetalFX spatial. Crucially, the tester noted it didn’t throttle as hard as other demanding titles, suggesting Feral optimized it well for the Air’s thermal constraints. Even pushing 1440p High settings yielded a playable (though not perfect) locked 30fps. This highlights how skilled porting and optimization by developers like Feral can lead to much better, more consistent gaming experiences on the fanless MacBook Air compared to less optimized titles.
Total War: Warhammer III on M4 Air: Acceptable FPS for Strategy?
Performance in a Less Demanding Genre
Total War: Warhammer III, while old, remains demanding. Testing the benchmark at 1080p Medium yielded “okay” results, hovering in potentially the 30-40fps range during battles (exact FPS wasn’t stated but inferred from “okay”). The campaign map benchmark performed worse. However, the key insight is that for strategy games like this, ultra-high frame rates aren’t essential for enjoyment. While the Air gets hot, the performance achieved might be perfectly acceptable for players primarily interested in the strategic layer, even if action sequences aren’t buttery smooth.
Light Gaming Champ? Sniper Elite 4 Runs Flawlessly on M4 Air (No Throttling!)
Older Titles Shine Bright
Looking for games that don’t turn your M4 Air into a hand warmer? Older, less demanding titles are the sweet spot. Sniper Elite 4 (from 2017) ran flawlessly at 1080p Ultra settings. Crucially, the tester noted it didn’t even make the MacBook Air noticeably hot, meaning no thermal throttling occurred. This demonstrates that the M4 Air’s hardware is easily capable of handling older or less graphically intensive games at maximum settings without breaking a sweat, offering a fantastic experience for titles from previous generations or lighter indie games.
Street Fighter 6 (CrossOver) on M4 Air: Decent Performance, Weird FPS Cap?
Fighting Games via Translation
Street Fighter 6, run via CrossOver 25, performed reasonably well among the translated titles tested. At 1080p Normal quality, it hovered between 50-60fps. While not a locked 60fps (potentially desirable for competitive fighting games), the tester deemed it “fine” and playable. An oddity noted was an apparent in-game 60fps cap that seemed inconsistent with monitor refresh rate settings. Overall, it demonstrates CrossOver’s capability for less graphically intense Windows titles, offering a playable, if not perfect, experience on the M4 Air.
Prince of Persia: Lost Crown on M4 Air: Perfect 60fps Indie Gaming? (Ubisoft FPS Cap?)
Smooth Gameplay Held Back by Cap
Indie or less demanding modern titles like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown showcase the M4 Air’s potential when thermals aren’t the primary constraint. The game ran beautifully at 1440p Ultra graphics, providing a locked 60fps. The only disappointment? Ubisoft implemented an in-game 60fps cap, preventing the M4 Air from potentially pushing even higher frame rates on high-refresh-rate displays. Despite promises of a patch, it hadn’t arrived. Still, it exemplifies how the M4 Air excels at delivering high-resolution, high-setting experiences for well-optimized, less graphically strenuous games.
Civilization VII on M4 Air: Benchmarks & Performance Analysis (FSR Broken?)
Strategy Benchmarks and Quirks
Civilization VII’s built-in benchmark tool provides specific metrics. At 1080p Medium, the graphics benchmark yielded around 61fps average. The lengthy AI benchmark produced an average turn time of ~25 seconds (interpretability may vary). However, quirks were noted: the mouse cursor wasn’t displaying correctly, and critically, AMD FSR 1 and FSR 3 options within the game appeared broken, offering no performance improvement despite being selectable. While the base performance seems decent for a strategy title, these issues indicate potential porting problems or bugs needing attention.
M4 Air vs M4 iPad Pro Gaming: Why They Aren’t Comparable
Different Hardware, Different OS, Different Results
Users wondering why games run better on the M4 Air than the M4 iPad Pro need to understand they are fundamentally different platforms, despite sharing a chip name. The hardware implementations (thermals, potential clock speed differences) vary, and crucially, they run different operating systems (macOS vs iPadOS) with distinct graphics APIs and software optimization levels. Game ports are often separate efforts. As the tester emphasized, expecting identical gaming performance is flawed; they are “completely different hardware” from a practical gaming perspective, leading to vastly different results.
Is the M4 MacBook Air (16GB/10-Core GPU) Good Value for GAMING?
Assessing Value Through a Gaming Lens
The M4 Air is exceptional value… as a general-purpose laptop. For 1000-1200 (base + maybe 512GB SSD), you get incredible performance for productivity and creative tasks. However, judging its value specifically for gaming is different. Due to thermal throttling limiting sustained performance in demanding titles and the relative scarcity of optimized native Mac games, it’s not ideal value if gaming is a primary focus. Gamers prioritizing smooth, high-fidelity experiences in AAA titles would likely find better value in a dedicated Windows gaming laptop near the same price point.
The State of Mac Gaming: Hardware is Ready, Where Are the Native Ports?
The Persistent Bottleneck
The M4 Air gaming tests reinforce a long-standing truth: Apple Silicon hardware is incredibly capable for gaming. The M4 chip has ample CPU and GPU power. The limiting factor isn’t the silicon; it’s the software library. There simply aren’t enough high-quality, well-optimized native Mac ports of major AAA games. While tools like CrossOver offer workarounds, they aren’t a replacement for native support. The tester concludes that progress requires more developers showing interest and investing in the Mac platform, shifting perceptions beyond blaming solely Apple for the limited game selection.
M4 MacBook Air 15-inch 16GB RAM gaming benchmarks
Performance Snapshot: Potential Meets Reality
Testing the 15-inch M4 Air (10-core GPU, 16GB RAM) across 15 games reveals a consistent pattern. Initial benchmarks often show impressive frame rates, leveraging the powerful M4 chip. However, due to the fanless design, sustained performance in demanding titles like Death Stranding or Resident Evil 4 drops significantly (e.g., from 60fps down to 40fps or lower) after 10-20 minutes due to thermal throttling. Less demanding or well-optimized games like Prince of Persia or Sniper Elite 4 fare much better, maintaining stable high frame rates.
Best settings M4 Air Death Stranding 1080p
Prioritizing Stability and Visuals
For Death Stranding at 1080p on the M4 Air, the tester recommended prioritizing a stable experience over chasing maximum frame rates. Instead of using MetalFX upscaling to attempt 60fps (which still suffered dips and visual compromises), the preferred setup was native 1080p resolution, Very High graphics quality, and capping the frame rate at 30fps. This provided a consistent, visually rich experience without causing excessive heat or severe throttling, proving more enjoyable for longer play sessions despite the lower frame rate target.
M4 Air Cyberpunk 2077 CrossOver 25 FSR 3 setup
Pushing Translation Layers to the Limit
To make the non-native Cyberpunk 2077 somewhat playable on the M4 Air via CrossOver 25, specific settings were crucial. Starting with the Medium preset (which yielded only ~22fps), the key was enabling AMD FSR 3 upscaling set to Balanced mode and activating Frame Generation. This combination significantly boosted the average frame rate to around 54fps. However, the tester cautioned that noticeable visual artifacts from Frame Generation were present, and the overall experience wasn’t ideal, suggesting waiting for a native port if possible.
M4 Air thermal throttling gaming time lapse
Visualizing the Performance Drop
The transcript highlights time-lapse comparisons (specifically mentioning Resident Evil 4 and Death Stranding) showing the M4 Air’s frame rate dramatically decreasing over approximately 20 minutes of gameplay. This visual evidence starkly demonstrates the impact of thermal throttling. As the fanless laptop heats up under sustained load, it’s forced to reduce chip performance to manage temperatures, causing the significant FPS drop observed, unlike actively cooled Macs (Mini/Pro) which maintain higher performance for longer.
How to cap FPS at 30 on MacBook Air games
Achieving Stability Through Limitation
While the transcript doesn’t provide a universal step-by-step guide, it demonstrates the strategy of capping frame rates. The tester enabled a 30fps cap within the game’s settings menu for titles like Death Stranding and attempted it for The Last of Us Part 1. The goal is to prevent the M4 Air from constantly trying to hit high frame rates it can’t sustain due to heat, thus reducing throttling and providing a smoother, more consistent (albeit lower) frame rate. This is often found in the graphics or display options of individual games.
Resident Evil 4 M4 Air micro stutter fix (if any)
An Unresolved Annoyance
Unfortunately, the testing revealed a persistent “weird micro stuttering” issue while playing Resident Evil 4 on the M4 Air. This random jitter was very noticeable in person and negatively impacted the gameplay experience. The transcript does not mention any specific fix for this problem. It’s presented as a current issue with the game’s performance on this hardware configuration, suggesting players might have to wait for a potential game patch or driver update to see if it gets resolved.
Baldur’s Gate 3 M4 Air low FPS fix (laran issue)
Optimization Woes, No Easy Solution
Baldur’s Gate 3 performed “terribly” on the M4 Air, with frame rates dropping into the low 20s even at 900p High settings with a 30fps cap attempted. The transcript attributes this poor showing to potential optimization issues stemming from developer Larian Studios reportedly parting ways with the original Mac porting team (Elverils). No fix is suggested within the transcript. The performance issues, coupled with poor FSR quality, indicate deep optimization problems that likely require significant updates from the developer, not simple user tweaks.
M4 Air vs M4 Mac Mini Resident Evil 4 performance difference
The Power of Active Cooling Demonstrated
Comparing Resident Evil 4 performance between the M4 Air and an actively cooled M4 Mac Mini highlights the critical role of fans. The time-lapse comparison showed the M4 Air’s frame rate plummeting over 20 minutes due to thermal throttling. In contrast, the M4 Mac Mini, with its fan, can dissipate heat effectively, allowing the M4 chip to sustain much higher performance levels for extended periods. This results in significantly better and more consistent frame rates on the Mac Mini compared to the thermally constrained Air.
MetalFX temporal vs spatial visual quality comparison Mac
Upscaling Flavors Offer Different Results
Apple’s MetalFX upscaling comes in different forms, yielding varied visual results according to the tests. MetalFX Temporal (used in RE4) was heavily criticized for visual quality, especially artifacting on details like hair (“disgusting”). However, Temporal in Death Stranding was deemed “visually a lot better.” MetalFX Spatial (tested in GRID Legends) wasn’t singled out for major visual flaws. This suggests that the quality of MetalFX heavily depends on the specific implementation within each game, with Temporal potentially offering better performance but higher risk of artifacts compared to Spatial.
CrossOver 25 frame generation artifacts M4 Air
The Cost of Synthesized Frames via Translation
While enabling Frame Generation via CrossOver 25 in Cyberpunk 2077 boosted frame rates significantly on the M4 Air, it came with a clear downside: visual artifacts. The tester explicitly mentioned that these artifacts, common to frame generation technology even natively, were noticeable in person. Running this technology through a translation layer like CrossOver likely exacerbates these issues. This serves as a reminder that while impressive, technologies like Frame Gen used non-natively can introduce visual imperfections that detract from the experience.
Can M4 Air run AAA games natively?
Yes, But With Major Caveats
Technically, yes, the M4 MacBook Air can run native AAA Mac games like Death Stranding, Resident Evil 4, Lies of P, and Baldur’s Gate 3. The hardware is initially capable. However, the experience is heavily compromised by the fanless design. Due to inevitable thermal throttling during extended play, sustained performance at high settings or frame rates (like 60fps) is often unachievable. Users must typically lower settings significantly, utilize upscaling like MetalFX (with potential visual downsides), or cap the frame rate at 30fps for a consistent experience.
Games that run well on M4 MacBook Air fanless
Finding the Sweet Spot for Fanless Play
While demanding AAA titles struggle with thermals, the M4 Air excels with less strenuous games. Older titles: Sniper Elite 4 (2017) ran flawlessly at 1080p Ultra without causing heat issues. Well-optimized modern games: GRID Legends performed reasonably well due to good optimization by Feral Interactive. Indie/Less Demanding Titles: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown ran perfectly at 1440p Ultra, locked at 60fps (though potentially capable of more if not for an artificial cap). These examples show the Air is great for games that don’t push its thermal limits.
M4 MacBook Air 10-core GPU vs 8-core GPU gaming (Though video used 10-core)
Extrapolating from the Tested Model
This specific test utilized the M4 Air configured with the higher-end 10-core GPU. While a direct comparison wasn’t performed, we can infer outcomes. The tested 10-core GPU still experienced significant thermal throttling in demanding games. An M4 Air with the base 8-core GPU would possess slightly less peak graphical power. Therefore, it would likely hit thermal limits slightly sooner, throttle performance earlier, or require even lower settings/resolutions to achieve similar sustained frame rates compared to the tested 10-core model under prolonged gaming loads.
Temperature M4 MacBook Air while gaming
Expect Significant Heat Under Load
A recurring theme throughout the testing was heat. When playing demanding native games (Death Stranding, RE4, Lies of P) or running intensive titles via CrossOver (Cyberpunk, RDR2), the M4 MacBook Air consistently got “really hot” or “quite hot.” This heat buildup is the direct cause of the performance throttling observed after 10-20 minutes. Less demanding games like Sniper Elite 4, however, ran cool. Users should expect noticeable heat from the chassis during any prolonged, intensive gaming session on this fanless machine.
Play Windows games M4 MacBook Air CrossOver 25 guide
Demonstrating Possibility, Not Providing Instructions
While the video showcases several Windows games (Cyberpunk 2077, RDR2, TLOU, Street Fighter 6) running on the M4 Air using CrossOver 25, it serves as a performance test rather than a step-by-step guide. It demonstrates what settings (like FSR 3, Frame Gen) were used to achieve certain frame rates but emphasizes the often subpar experience, performance issues, and visual artifacts. It proves technical feasibility but advises against relying on CrossOver for optimal play, implicitly suggesting users seek dedicated guides elsewhere if attempting this complex process.
M4 Air Gaming: Managing Expectations for a Fanless Laptop
Understanding the Inherent Limitations
It’s crucial to approach gaming on the M4 Air with realistic expectations. The M4 chip itself is powerful, but the fanless design fundamentally limits sustained performance. Expect impressive initial frame rates in many games, followed by noticeable drops due to thermal throttling after 10-20 minutes of demanding play. Consistent 60fps in AAA titles is unlikely without significant compromises. Plan to lower settings, potentially use upscaling (accepting visual trade-offs), or cap frame rates at 30fps for stability. It’s a capable laptop, not a dedicated gaming rig.
Why CodeWeavers (CrossOver) is Crucial for Mac Gaming (But Needs Native Support)
The Indispensable Workaround
CodeWeavers, the developers of CrossOver, play a vital role in expanding the Mac’s playable game library by enabling Windows titles (RDR2, TLOU, Cyberpunk) to run via translation. The tests showcase CrossOver’s impressive technical achievements. However, the often-compromised performance, instability, and visual artifacts encountered highlight that translation is not a perfect solution. While CrossOver provides invaluable access now, the ultimate goal for the platform remains attracting developers to create high-quality, optimized native Mac ports for the best possible gaming experience.
Debunking the “Mac Gaming Computer” Myth (Even with M4)
Hardware Power vs. Gaming Ecosystem
The tester explicitly states, “there’s no such thing as a Mac gaming computer,” even with the powerful M4 chip. Why? It’s not about hardware capability anymore; the M4 Air proves Apple Silicon can run demanding games initially. The “myth” persists because the ecosystem is lacking. There are insufficient high-profile, well-optimized native game releases compared to Windows PCs. Combined with performance limitations on fanless models like the Air due to throttling, Macs remain general-purpose computers that can play games, not platforms primarily designed or supported for gaming.
M4 Air: Great Laptop, Compromised Gaming Machine?
Excelling in Its Lane, Struggling in Another
The M4 MacBook Air is widely praised as an excellent value, high-performance laptop for everyday tasks, productivity, and even light creative work. Its $1000 starting price, great battery life, and build quality make it compelling. However, when evaluated specifically as a gaming machine, significant compromises emerge. The fanless design inevitably leads to thermal throttling in demanding games, hindering sustained performance. While it can run many titles, achieving a smooth, high-fidelity experience often requires sacrifices not needed on actively cooled or dedicated gaming hardware.
The 20-Minute Gaming Wall: Understanding M4 Air Throttling
Hitting the Thermal Ceiling
Testing consistently revealed a pattern: after approximately 10-20 minutes of playing demanding games like Death Stranding or Resident Evil 4, the M4 Air’s performance significantly degrades. This “20-minute wall” signifies the point where the passive cooling system becomes saturated with heat. To prevent damage, the system aggressively throttles the M4 chip’s speed, causing the noticeable drop in frame rates. It’s a physical limitation of dissipating heat without a fan, impacting any prolonged, intensive gaming session on the device.
Native vs CrossOver on M4 Air: Performance & Hassle Compared
Optimization vs. Translation Trade-offs
Gaming natively (Death Stranding, RE games) on the M4 Air generally offers a smoother starting point and potentially better stability, though still subject to throttling and occasional bugs (like RE4 stutter). Running Windows games via CrossOver (Cyberpunk, RDR2) requires more user effort (setup, tweaking settings like FSR/Frame Gen), introduces performance overhead from the translation layer, and often results in more visual artifacts or instability. While CrossOver expands game access, native ports almost always provide a less frustrating, better-performing, and more reliable experience when available.
Should You Buy an M4 Air IF Gaming is a Priority? (Probably Not)
Aligning Purchase with Primary Use Case
If gaming is a primary reason for buying a new laptop, the M4 MacBook Air, despite its powerful chip, is likely not the best choice. The extensive testing highlights inevitable thermal throttling in demanding games, necessitating significant compromises (lower settings, 30fps caps) for sustained play. The limited native Mac game library further compounds this. For a similar budget, a dedicated Windows gaming laptop would offer far superior gaming performance, cooling, and game selection. The M4 Air excels elsewhere, but not primarily as a gaming machine.
Visual Artifacts Showdown: FSR vs MetalFX vs Frame Gen on M4 Air
Imperfect Solutions for Boosting Frames
Testing revealed visual downsides to various performance-enhancing techniques on the M4 Air. AMD FSR (tested in BG3 via native port, and RDR2/TLOU/Cyberpunk via CrossOver) was described as muddy or simply didn’t work (Civ VII). Apple’s MetalFX upscaling quality varied by game implementation (poor in RE4, better elsewhere). Frame Generation (via CrossOver in Cyberpunk) introduced noticeable visual artifacts. None of these technologies offered a universally clean boost; users must often accept visual compromises (blurriness, shimmering, artifacts) in exchange for higher frame rates on this hardware.
M4 Air Gaming Potential Unleashed? (If It Had a Fan!)
Imagining an Actively Cooled Air
The M4 Air’s strong initial gaming performance before throttling kicks in clearly demonstrates the M4 chip’s inherent capability. Comparing its throttled state to the sustained performance of fan-cooled M4 Macs (Mini/Pro) reveals a significant gap. If the MacBook Air included even a basic fan system, it could sustain much higher frame rates for longer periods, transforming its gaming viability for demanding titles. The fanless design, while great for silence and thinness, is undeniably the primary bottleneck holding back the M4 Air’s true gaming potential.
Final Verdict: Gaming on M4 Air is Possible, But Often Frustrating.
Tempering Enthusiasm with Reality
Ultimately, gaming on the M4 MacBook Air is a mixed bag, leaning towards frustrating for demanding titles. Yes, the hardware can launch and initially run impressive games, natively or via CrossOver. However, the consistent thermal throttling after short periods forces compromises: lower settings, 30fps caps, or dealing with upscaling artifacts. Add occasional bugs (stuttering) and poor optimization on some ports (BG3), and the experience often falls short of ideal. It’s possible to game, but users seeking smooth, high-fidelity, hassle-free gaming should likely look elsewhere.
Okay, here is a breakdown of the reported FPS (Frames Per Second) and settings for each game tested on the M4 MacBook Air (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 10-core CPU/GPU), based on the provided transcript.
Important Notes:
- Thermal Throttling: A major theme is that the fanless M4 Air will throttle in demanding games after 10-20 minutes, causing FPS drops from initial peaks. Figures below often reflect initial performance or ranges that include throttled states.
- Native vs. CrossOver: Games marked “(CrossOver)” are Windows games running through a translation layer, which impacts performance and may introduce instability or artifacts.
- Upscaling (MetalFX/FSR): These technologies render the game at a lower resolution and upscale it to boost FPS, but can impact visual quality.
- FPS Caps: Sometimes a 30fps cap was enabled for stability.
- Issues: Specific bugs like stuttering were noted for some games.
Death Stranding (Native)
- 1080p, Default Quality, No MetalFX:
- Starts up to 60 FPS.
- Throttles down to low 40s FPS (reported 40-50 FPS during exploration/combat).
- Drops below 30 FPS during intense “Beached Thing” encounters.
- 1080p, Default Quality, MetalFX Temporal (Balanced):
- Mostly 60 FPS, with minor dips into the 50s FPS.
- Caveat: Throttling still likely over longer sessions. Visual quality better than spatial MetalFX.
- 1080p, Very High Quality, No MetalFX, 30 FPS Cap:
- Locked 30 FPS (mostly stable), with minor drops during intense encounters.
- Caveat: Tester preferred this for stability, visual quality, and lower heat.
Cyberpunk 2077 (CrossOver 25)
- 1080p, Medium Preset, No FSR/Frame Gen:
- ~21.7 FPS (Average).
- 1080p, Medium Preset, AMD FSR 3 (Balanced), Frame Gen ON:
- ~53.8 FPS (Average).
- Caveat: Noticeable visual artifacts from Frame Gen. Not recommended for enjoyable play.
- 1080p, Medium Preset, FSR 3 (Balanced), Frame Gen ON, Ray Tracing Medium (Various Settings):
- ~22.6 FPS (Average).
- Caveat: Ray Tracing via CrossOver performs poorly but works technically.
GRID Legends (Native)
- 1080p, Medium Preset (Benchmark):
- ~53.2 FPS (Average).
- Caveat: Better optimized, throttles less severely than some titles.
- 1080p, Medium Preset, TAA + MetalFX Spatial (Balanced) (Benchmark):
- ~57.3 FPS (Average).
- 1440p, High Preset, No MetalFX, 30 FPS Cap:
- ~29.7 FPS (Average).
- Caveat: Playable at 30fps but some frame pacing issues noted.
Resident Evil 4 (Native)
- 1080p, Prioritize Performance Preset, No MetalFX:
- Starts ~60 FPS, throttles down to ~40 FPS after 10+ minutes.
- Caveat: Persistent micro-stuttering reported.
- 1080p, Prioritize Performance Preset, MetalFX Quality (Temporal):
- Mostly 60 FPS, minor drops into the 50s FPS.
- Caveat: MetalFX visual quality heavily criticized (“disgusting hair”); stuttering likely still present.
Resident Evil 2 (Native)
- 1080p, Prioritize Performance Preset, No MetalFX:
- Mostly over 60 FPS.
- Caveat: Throttles eventually, locked 60fps not guaranteed long-term.
- 1080p, Prioritize Performance Preset, MetalFX Quality:
- Well over 60 FPS.
- Caveat: MetalFX looks better than in RE4. Good option until throttling occurs.
- 1440p, Prioritize Graphics Preset, No MetalFX, 30 FPS Cap:
- Locked 30 FPS.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (CrossOver 25)
- 1080p, Low Graphics, AMD FSR 2 (Balanced):
- FPS not numerically stated but described as “doesn’t play well,” “not acceptable results.” (Implies low/unstable FPS).
- Caveat: Not recommended on M4 Air.
Lies of P (Native)
- (Settings likely 1080p, aiming for 60fps)
- FPS potential seems decent but specific numbers obscured by issues.
- Caveat: Significant random stuttering/frame pacing issues reported, making the experience poor regardless of potential FPS.
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Native)
- (Settings varied)
- Performance described as “terribly,” even with FSR.
- 900p, High Preset, No FSR, 30 FPS Cap:
- Drops down to 20 FPS.
- Caveat: Poor optimization cited as the main issue.
Palworld (Native – Early Access)
- 1080p (implied), Medium Settings:
- Highly variable: ~40 FPS initially, dropping to ~35 FPS, dipping much lower (sub-40s implied) near many Pals.
- Caveat: Very inconsistent, heavily impacted by throttling and scene complexity.
Total War: Warhammer III (Native)
- 1080p, Medium Preset (Battle Benchmark):
- Performance “okay I guess” (Numerical FPS not stated, implies maybe 30s-40s FPS).
- 1080p, Medium Preset (Campaign Benchmark):
- Performed “a bit worse” (Lower FPS than Battle Benchmark).
- Caveat: Strategy game, high FPS less critical.
The Last of Us Part 1 (CrossOver 25)
- Low Graphics, AMD FSR 3.1 (Balanced), Frame Gen ON, 30 FPS Cap:
- FPS went above 30fps (indicating cap wasn’t working). No stable average given, described as having “lots of issues.”
- Caveat: Not recommended for play.
Sniper Elite 4 (Native)
- 1080p, Ultra Graphics:
- “Runs really well” (Implies stable 60+ FPS).
- Caveat: Older (2017) game, runs cool, no throttling observed.
Street Fighter 6 (CrossOver 25)
- 1080p, Normal Quality:
- Mostly 50-60 FPS.
- Caveat: Playable, but not locked 60fps; weird in-game cap behavior noted.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Native)
- 1440p, Ultra Graphics:
- Locked 60 FPS.
- Caveat: Game has an internal 60fps cap imposed by Ubisoft. Runs excellently otherwise.
Civilization VII (Native)
- 1080p, Medium Preset (Graphics Benchmark):
- ~61 FPS (Average).
- AI Benchmark:
- Average Turn Time: ~25.4 seconds.
- Caveat: AMD FSR reported as non-functional; minor cursor bug.