The new macOS operating system macOS Sonoma was officially launched at WWDC23. The macOS Sonoma takes a big step forward in gaming. macOS Sonoma includes a “Game Porting Tool”. This game porting tool makes it much easier for developers to port their games created for Windows to Mac.

macOS Sonoma Game Porting Tool is expected the increase significantly the number of games that can be played on macOS

Reportedly, there are platforms like Wine and Crossover that translate APIs from Microsoft’s operating system so that Mac computers can run Windows software. However, the “Game Porting Tool” is completely built-in. This means greater convenience and higher performance for developers. Apple’s new tool is based on Wine even though it is Apple’s own solution. It can reportedly convert DirectX 12 to Metal 3, the graphics engine of macOS.

But are there any downsides to this conversion? Unfortunately, there are. Apple says that games ported directly to macOS deliver almost twice the frame rates on the same hardware. In other words, ported games cannot fully utilize the performance of Macs. However, the number of games that can be played on Macs with the “Game Porting Tool” is expected to increase. It is thought that game developers will no longer leave millions of Mac users behind to make more money.

Apple says the following about macOS Sonoma Game Mode: “macOS Sonoma introduces Game Mode, which gives players a significant advantage in games where success is measured in milliseconds. Game Mode gives games the highest priority on the CPU and GPU, enabling an optimized gaming experience with smoother, more consistent frame rates.”

“Game Mode also makes the gaming experience on Mac even more immersive. Bluetooth sampling rate is doubled, significantly reducing audio latency with AirPods, and input latency with controllers from popular consoles like Xbox and PlayStation is significantly reduced. Game Mode works with all games, including the latest and upcoming Mac games.”