Cyberpunk 2077 performance on Apple processors exhibits varying results, with frames per second (fps) ranging from approximately 13 to 105 at a resolution of 1080p, contingent upon specific Mac models and game settings employed

Cyberpunk 2077 performance on Apple processors exhibits varying results, with frames per second (fps) ranging from approximately 13 to 105 at a resolution of 1080p, contingent upon specific Mac models and game settings employed

In a recent test conducted by YouTube creator Andrew Tsai, the open-world game Cyberpunk 2077 performed impressively on various Apple Silicon Macs.

Andrew tested the game on four different Macs, including the M4 MacBook Pro, the M3 Max MacBook Pro, the M1 Max MacBook Pro, and the first-generation M1 MacBook Air.

Performance on Apple Silicon Macs

The M3 Max MacBook Pro, with its 40-core GPU and 48GB of unified memory, achieved more than 78 FPS at 1080p High and upscaling turned off. The M4 chip delivered an average of 26.22 FPS without upscaling. With upscaling turned on, the M4 chip managed to deliver more than 30 FPS.

The M1 Max MacBook Pro delivered a consistent 51.87 FPS whether MetalFX was turned on or off. When MetalFX was set to quality on the M3 Max MacBook Pro, performance jumped to more than 100 FPS.

The first-generation M1 MacBook Air, due to its 8GB of unified memory, does not officially support Cyberpunk 2077. However, it managed to achieve a little over 12 FPS with MetalFX set to quality.

Recommended Specs for Smooth Gameplay

For smooth gameplay on macOS, the recommended specs would be an M4 Max or better, as these chips can deliver around 60 FPS at 1600p with ray tracing and MetalFX upscaling enabled.

Here are the recommended settings for different Mac models:

1. M4 Max (higher GPU cores/config): ~58-62 FPS @ 1600p, RT + MetalFX - Ultra settings with ray tracing enabled
2. M3 Ultra (Mac Studio): ~62 FPS @ 1600p, RT + MetalFX - Ultra settings, ray tracing enabled
3. M4 Max (lower GPU cores): ~47 FPS @ 1600p, RT + MetalFX - Ultra settings, possible RT but lower frame rate
4. M1 Pro: ~30-40 FPS @ 1440p High settings - High settings, no ray tracing for best performance
5. M3/M3 Pro/M4 Pro: <33 FPS with RT; disable RT for smoother gameplay - Medium settings, ray tracing off

Release and Testing

Cyberpunk 2077 was released on July 17, and Andrew shared the results of his test in a YouTube video. It's worth noting that users who previously bought the game on Steam were able to install it directly on their Apple computers at no additional cost.

In conclusion, for smooth 60 FPS play with ray tracing on macOS, an M4 Max or M3 Ultra powered Mac is ideal. Older chips like the M1 Pro still offer good performance but likely require settings adjustment to Medium/High without ray tracing for better frame rates and efficiency. Disabling ray tracing significantly increases FPS on all Apple Silicon Macs. The native MetalFX upscaling combined with Apple’s highly efficient silicon allows Cyberpunk 2077 to run at respectable settings with impressive power and thermal efficiency compared to equivalent Windows gaming laptops.

[1]: Source for performance details and benchmarks [2]: Source for M1 Pro performance comparison [3]: Source for power consumption comparison [4]: Source for performance analysis compared to Nvidia GPUs

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