The gaming performance of Apple’s new A18 Pro-powered MacBook Neo has been a subject of great curiosity in the tech world. To satisfy this curiosity, hardware reviewer Andrew Tsai conducted a comprehensive gaming test, pushing the device to its limits. Tsai showcased how well this new machine—featuring a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 8 GB of unified memory—can handle modern titles.
10 Different Games Tested on the 8 GB MacBook Neo
As reviews emerge, it has become clear that Apple’s affordable computer exceeds expectations in daily tasks and productivity tools. However, when it comes to gaming, the situation is often different. Although Apple is striving to position the Mac series as a powerful gaming platform, the gaming community has yet to fully embrace this vision.
To put this to the test, Andrew Tsai tried ten different games and Switch emulation on a MacBook Neo with 512 GB of storage. The tested lineup included Cyberpunk 2077, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Control, Resident Evil Requiem, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Counter-Strike 2, Elden Ring, Dark Souls Remastered, and Mewgenics.
Key Findings: Memory is the Bottleneck
Overall results showed that the device performed better than expected. However, the 8 GB memory capacity emerged as the system’s primary limitation. Naturally, games developed natively for macOS provided a much smoother experience compared to Windows titles running through translation layers. Across all tests, performance was heavily dependent on the game’s specific memory consumption.
Individual Game Performance Highlights
- Cyberpunk 2077: Only reached playable levels at 720p resolution on the lowest settings.
- Minecraft: Performed exceptionally well, reaching between 50 and 300 FPS at 1080p depending on settings.
- Translation Layer Performance: Results were highly inconsistent. While Counter-Strike 2 remained completely unplayable, the 2D indie title Mewgenics ran near-flawlessly.
The tests clearly demonstrate that while the A18 Pro is a capable chip, the 8 GB RAM remains a significant hurdle for high-end AAA gaming on the MacBook Neo.
