While Windows PCs are the favorite platform to play computer games, that does not mean that they are the only option at your disposal. Far from it; in fact, games compatible with macOS — or Mac for short — are only growing more common. However, not all games are necessarily compatible, which begs the question for fans of a certain game: can you play League of Legends on Mac?
League of Legends was originally released in 2009, earning both positive critical and commercial success. While it was initially restricted only to Windows PCs, that changed in 2013, when developer Riot Games announced that League of Legends would release for Mac computers. It was ultimately released for its operating system, OS X, on March 1, 2013.
Is League of Legends good on Mac computers?
For the most part, so long as you enjoy League of Legends, the Mac version of it should be about as good as the Windows version, at least in terms of fun factor. You may experience some bugs, but it’s certainly a “your mileage may vary” situation. However, there are some things you should keep in mind when considering playing League of Legends on Mac.
First, you need to make sure that you choose settings that optimize your play experience. Mac computers are not built for gameplay as Windows and Linux computers are, so you are likely to suffer performance issues. It is a relatively lightweight MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), but when the game gets more intense, that is when it will struggle the most.
The major issue with respect to playing on Mac with League of Legends is only certain people may do so, as the League of Legends support only applies to players in the US portal. All that said, make sure that your Mac computer has:
- 2GB RAM (4GB preferred)
- 5GB of space free on your hard disk drive
- 3 GHz processor
- An ATI Radeon HD 2600 or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M (at least)
How to optimize League of Legends on Mac
If your copy of League of Legends is not running well on your Mac device, there are steps to be taken before you decide to upgrade or go for a different operating system. First, turn off shadows, as they can be rather intensive on your hardware. Doing so may result in more frames per second (FPS), and thus, make it more likely that you will win your match.
Another easy fix is to keep open only the bare minimum number of programs. The more programs you have open, the more your computer is going to struggle. If that doesn’t fix it, consider resetting your Mac to clear the VRAM and try League of Legends again.
If League of Legends is performing worse than it should be, it may mean that some of your game files are corrupted. This makes sense, since League of Legends updates rather frequently. In order to fix this issue, do the following steps:
- Open League of Legends
- Click on the Gear Settings Icon in the top right
- Click Initiate Full Repair
- Wait until the function finishes (typically 5-30 minutes, depending on how bad the corruption is)
The last suggestion would be to look into a program that cleans up resource-heavy files and temporary files. However, be careful; some programs are worse than others, so do your research on the best one.
Can Mac Players play League of Legends with Windows Players?
One thing that may keep someone reluctant to take the plunge with League of Legends on their Mac is that, being an online game, it would stink if you could only play with Mac players. After all, there are not as many as there are Windows players. Thankfully, League of Legends has cross-platform support, meaning that Windows and Mac players can play together.
Why do only some games work on Mac?
The simple explanation for this question is that, because Windows PCs tend to be more popular, games are made with Windows PCs in mind. But that’s only one of the reasons why. Mac computers are simply not designed with the kind of power intensity that a lot of modern games require, focusing instead on simplicity and streamlining.
Because of this, the number of potential customers looking to buy your big-name game is going to be significantly lower. League of Legends has the fortune of not being an extremely difficult game to run, but it’s certainly not the kind of game that can run on a potato either. Even a game that could theoretically run on some Mac devices might prove to run so poorly on most devices that it wouldn’t be worth it.
A major issue with Macs as far as gaming is concerned is that upgrading the already weak graphics card is not an option, at least not a feasible one. Not only that, but getting a Mac computer that is up to snuff with a Windows PC would be significantly costlier.
Is there any way to add more games?
While official releases are less common, there is actually a method that will allow you to expand the number of games available on your device. The best way to do this is to use Boot Camp, which allows you to put Windows on your Mac. In doing so, you will be able to access games only available on the Windows OS, League of Legends included.
Mind you, this does not account for having a weak graphics card or low RAM; if you try to play Elden Ring, it will likely not run very well at all, unless you have a true beast of a Mac computer. This solution is more just to account for games that were not added due to disinterest, such as if it was deemed unprofitable. A game may also be only available on Windows due to being made by a small developer.
Is a Mac worth it?
While a Windows computer is evidently the best option for League of Legends and most other games, that doesn’t mean that a Windows PC is the only option. It ultimately depends on what you expect to do with your computer. If gaming is only a small part of why you want a computer, a Mac might be an acceptable choice.
One benefit of going with a Mac is simplicity; where PCs can come in many shapes and sizes, Macs have a limited, yet varied, number of options. It’s also simpler to use, which is ideal if you find PCs at all cumbersome. Plus, if you’re already an Apple fan, getting this will be a great addition to your list of Apple products you own.
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