We tried playing PC games on MacBook Pro M1 Max via Parallels

We tried playing PC games on MacBook Pro M1 Max via Parallels — information technology's bad

MacBook Pro 16-inch 2022 sitting on a patio table

(Epitome credit: Hereafter)

There'due south no question that Apple's new MacBook Pro 14-inch 2022 and MacBook Pro 16-inch 2022 are powerful laptops. The M1 Pro and M1 Max processors packed within dissimilar laptop configurations marker a serious jump from the previous M1 chip. Equally we've noted in our review of the 14-inch model, Apple has given long-time enthusiasts the MacBook Pro they've yearned for.

While both MacBook Pros are leaps beyond previous Apple notebooks and some competitive laptops, they fall short when it comes to gaming performance. Our own tests of the xiv- and 16-inch notebooks revealed lower-than-expected frame charge per unit numbers. The results are surprising considering how, on paper, the M1 Pro and M1 Max should deliver improve-than-boilerplate gaming performance.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) review
MacBook Pro 2022 (16-inch) review: Power beyond conventionalities
Plus: Samsung Galaxy S22 could expect way different than the S22 Ultra

We recently detailed some of the reasons the new MacBook Pros are a waste product for gamers. Some commenters stated that it'southward possible to run Parallels to play Windows games on the new Apple tree laptops (as is the instance with 2022's M1-powered MacBook Pro). This piqued our interest so nosotros endeavored to examination some AAA games on the 16-inch M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro via Parallels. Our aim was to put titles through our standard litany of performance tests and estimate the results.

Before moving on, nosotros should explicate what Parallels is and what it does. Parallels Desktop for Mac (equally it is officially called) is software that provides hardware virtualization for Mac computers with Intel and M1 processors. Information technology even has x86-64 architecture emulation for Apple silicon Macs. Parallels allows users to run Windows programs that don't have Mac versions. Information technology'south also useful for transferring data from PC to Mac. With over 7 million users, information technology'due south an extremely popular programme.

Unfortunately, using Parallels on the xvi-inch M1 Max MacBook did not provide a smooth gaming feel. To be frank, we faced a host of problems running games on the programme. None of the 3DMark tests ran through the software installs. Worse still was the fact that one-half the games nosotros tried to examination failed to load altogether.

	Result
Assassinator's Creed Valhalla	Did non load
Borderlands 3	Loaded only didn't run
Dirt 5	Did not load
Far Weep New Dawn	Loaded, ran and played
Far Cry half dozen	Did not load
Grand Theft Motorcar Five	Loaded, ran and played
Metro Exodus	Loaded, ran and played
Red Dead Redemption 2	Did not load
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	Loaded but didn't run

Titles like Assassin'south Creed Valhalla, DiRT five, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Ruby Expressionless Redemption ii did not load. Borderlands 3 loaded but failed to run (in that location is a stardom between the two). Nosotros had better luck with Far Cry New Dawn, Metro Exodus and Grand Theft Auto 5. They loaded, ran, and played well enough. Still, the 3DMark tests did not report results accurately.

We can't say we're surprised by these results. Afterwards all, Parallels is a virtual machine. It isn't a native app fabricated specifically for running games. Though some titles are indeed playable via Parallels, it'southward non an ideal solution (to say the to the lowest degree).

Colleagues we spoke with at other Futurity publications and elsewhere in the industry say that this is, for the lack of a better term, a "known outcome" that even the M1 Max tin can't solve (at to the lowest degree for the moment). Based on our research and what our colleagues believe, this comes down to matters of compatibility between Microsoft and Apple products. There's also the perpetual difficulty of getting programs to run equally intended in a virtual machine like Parallels.

After spending most an entire workday testing games, we've ended that AAA PC gaming may be possible on the sixteen-inch M1 Max-powered via Parallels — though it'south a dicey suggestion. Some titles volition run but others will fail to even load. The inconsistency isn't dandy and is proof that Apple tree'due south hardware is even so not suitable for AAA gaming experiences. As far every bit nosotros're concerned it's not worth the time or headaches trying to play games through Parallels will engender.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider — (Prototype credit: Foursquare Enix)

These results are disappointing because the power of the M1 Max GPU. Simply information technology's not so much an inherent problem of the chip as information technology is about developers not optimizing games for macOS. Apple provided us with a list of some AAA titles playable on macOS. Notable games include Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Borderlands 3. We tested both on the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Max bit and they ran well, with Borderlands 3 hitting 40fps at 1080p and Shadow of the Tomb Raider averaging 85fps at the same resolution. While those are solid AAA releases, similar titles aren't ubiquitous on macOS.

One of the chief issues with a lot of these games is that -- perhaps for good reasons — they're non designed to recognize the M1 Max chip's graphics hardware as something that is capable of running them, or (on the games that do run) something that is capable of running them optimally. We would need to do a deeper dive into the M1 graphics architecture to discover why this is the case. That's an article for another solar day.

The M1 Max is a pregnant pace forward for Apple silicon and is more than capable of providing fantabulous gaming performance. But until things change with game optimization (and publisher relationships), current and future MacBooks will non have the gaming experiences establish on other devices and platforms. As far equally using Parallels to play PC games on Mac is concerned, y'all're free to give information technology a attempt. But based on our tests, don't expect a smooth ride.

More: MacBook Pro 2022 benchmarks — how fast are M1 Pro and M1 Max?

Tony is a computing author at Tom's Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending also much time on Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Difficult Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such equally Laptop Mag, PC Magazine, and various contained gaming sites.