Apple has rolled out macOS 26 Tahoe, and it’s one of the biggest updates to macOS in years. From a visual redesign to powerful upgrades for gamers and a retooled Spotlight experience, this new version doesn’t just tweak it transforms.
macOS 26 Tahoe brings major gaming upgrades
Gaming finally gets proper attention in macOS 26 Tahoe. Apple has introduced Metal 4, complete with MetalFX frame interpolation, a feature that uses AI to generate additional frames, mirroring what Nvidia’s DLSS does for PC gaming. There’s also a new low-power gaming mode, designed to stretch battery life when needed, even if that means sacrificing performance.
A newly introduced Apple Games app acts as a launcher, consolidating titles from Apple Arcade and third-party stores into one place. During gameplay, an overlay lets you chat with friends or adjust system settings without minimizing the game.
LG debuts Xboom Buds Lite and Buds Plus with graphene drivers, ANC, and tuning by will.i.am, launching September 2025.
Spotlight in macOS 26 Tahoe is finally useful
Spotlight gets a serious brain boost. Now, it can handle Siri Shortcuts, split-screen app launching, and even message sending all straight from the search bar. More impressively, Spotlight can now index content from Google Drive and OneDrive, expanding its utility far beyond the local drive.
Design overhaul refreshes the Mac experience
macOS 26 Tahoe brings Apple’s Liquid Glass design language to the Mac for the first time. That means transparent window layers, reworked app icons, and smoother animations across the board. It doesn’t feel like a tweak, it feels like a reboot.
Highlights of macOS 26 Tahoe:
- Metal 4 with MetalFX AI frame generation
- Apple Games app with overlay and launcher support
- Smart Spotlight with Siri Shortcuts and cloud search
- Redesigned UI with Liquid Glass styling
- Customizable quick settings drawer
- Low-power mode tailored for gaming
macOS 26 Tahoe supports Intel Macs one last time
This release is the final major update to support select Intel-based Macs, including the 2019 Mac Pro and 2020 Mac mini. Every Mac with an Apple M-series chip is also eligible for the update. It’s a farewell tour for Intel on macOS, and Apple’s making sure it goes out with something special.
Tahoe marks a bold shift for macOS
With macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple isn’t just catching up; it’s flipping expectations. Design gets cleaner, gaming gets real backing, and Spotlight finally feels like a feature worth using. It’s no longer about small steps. macOS just took a leap.
