Cloud Gaming.Expert

Device guide

Cloud gaming on macOS (MacBook & iMac)

Macs are excellent cloud gaming machines — they have great displays, fast Wi-Fi 6E radios, and the codec problem is solved on Apple Silicon. Native clients exist for most major services.

Service-by-service on macOS (MacBook & iMac)

  • GeForce Now
    4.6

    Native macOS app, supports up to 4K HDR streaming on Ultimate. The best premium option on Mac.

  • Xbox Cloud Gaming
    4.3

    Web-only via Safari, Chrome or Edge. No native app — Microsoft has no plans to ship one. Quality is fine; controller support requires MFi.

  • PlayStation Plus Premium
    3.9

    Windows-only PC client. Mac users are stuck unless they run Windows in Parallels (don't).

  • Boosteroid
    4.0

    Browser-only — no client. Runs fine in Safari on Apple Silicon.

  • Amazon Luna
    3.7

    Web-only on macOS. Some users report mic-related issues with Luna's WebRTC stack on older macOS versions.

One caveat

On Intel Macs, hardware video decode for HEVC may be patchy. Apple Silicon is recommended for any premium tier.