'Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition' coming to Apple Silicon Macs on July 17
On July 17, the futuristic, neon-lit world of Cyberpunk 2077 will finally make its way to the Mac, bringing Apple gamers an exciting but long-overdue experience.
CyberPunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will be playable on the Mac starting July 17.
The Mac release of CyberPunk 2077 comes more than four years after the PC version of the game debuted, back in 2020. Still, the open-world action-adventure role-playing game is on track for its previously announced 2025 launch date, avoiding the delays that have plagued other triple-A titles such as Assassin's Creed: Shadows.
Set in the power-focused megalopolis known as Night City, the game lets players assume the role of a mercenary by the name of V. But wait, there's more! CyberPunk 2077: Ultimate Edition encompasses not only the base game, featuring Keanu Reeves as legendary rockstar Johnny Silverhand, but also the thriller expansion Phantom Liberty, starring Idris Elba as Solomon Reed.
CyberPunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will also deliver every major patch and feature update rolled out so far, including the latest 2.3 release, which adds a dedicated Photo Mode capability, along with new vehicles, and much more.
'CyberPunk 2077' runs on all Apple Silicon Macs, with a catch
Developer CD Projekt Red has announced that its best-selling game, CyberPunk 2077, will be playable on all Apple Silicon Macs, from a computer as basic as the M1 MacBook Air and Mac mini, to a machine as powerful as the 2025 Mac Studio, equipped with an M3 Ultra or M4 Max chip. Custom graphics presets are available for every Apple Silicon Mac model.
There is one caveat, however, as the game requires at least 16GB of RAM, meaning it won't work on select base model M1 and M2 Mac configurations, which only shipped with 8GB of unified memory. Still, the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 release will use Apple's Metal graphics framework to improve performance and efficiency in resource-heavy applications.
How 'CyberPunk 2077' utilizes Apple software and hardware
Often a crucial component for visually intense games, it enables developers to utilize the Mac's GPU fully. Taking advantage of both Apple hardware and software through the framework lets developers deliver seamless gameplay, stunning visual quality, and optimized power consumption.
'CyberPunk 2077' delivers immersive environments, thanks to Apple Silicon and MetalFX. Image Credit: CD Projekt Red
To be more specific, CyberPunk 2077: Ultimate Edition will also be able to take advantage of two Metal 4 features announced at WWDC 2025 -- MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX Denoising. These two enhancements will not be available at launch, however, and will be released as part of a future software update.
Metal FX Frame Interpolation will allow for higher and more stable frame rates by generating an intermediate frame for every two input frames. When paired with MetalFX upscaling, this will let the game achieve 120 FPS on its "Ultra" setting. The MetalFX Denoising feature facilitates real-time path tracing, allowing for intricate graphics and lifelike environments.
CyberPunk 2077: Ultimate Edition also makes use of Apple's Tile-Based Deferred Rendering (TBDR) architecture by incorporating native Metal API support. This approach also leverages Metal's C++ interface and the Metal Shader Converter, which optimizes the rendering pipeline for Apple GPUs.
In the game, GPU efficiency is maximized through the reduction of memory traffic and the use of overlapping frame and command processing. CPU overhead is minimized through an optimized rendering pipeline, and the game selectively employs both native Metal Shaders and converted shaders to fine-tune GPU utilization.
Mac gamers will also enjoy Apple's Spatial Audio and head-tracking with AirPods, allowing for immersive soundscapes that further enhance gameplay. Provided they have a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip and 16GB or more of unified memory, running macOS Sequoia 15.5 or later.
There's some good news for existing PC players as well. CD Projekt Red confirmed that gamers who already own Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam can access the Mac version without needing a new purchase. The game itself is available on GOG.com and the Epic Games Store as well.
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Comments
I thought they were waiting for Mac OS Tahoe, I guess the new Metal features were not the cause for the delay after all.
I've played through twice on the PS5, but may still buy this if mod support is there or better (not sure if it's coming to PS5 in 2.3)
They are completely out of their minds with game pricing on App Store. This is not an individual developer being very inconsistent on their pricing across platforms, it’s Apple who clearly exerts control.