Can You Play Steam Games on MacBook Air?

Last Updated on October 3, 2022 by Sam

Steam is a popular gaming store meant for downloading games right to the computer. With the evolution of Steam, the traditional way of buying games from offline outlets is gradually vanishing. Over the last decade, more stuff has gone digital, due to which CDs and DVDs have become obsolete. This is certainly one of the reasons that led to the immense popularity of Steam.

When it comes to gaming, Windows computers lead the competition as it is possible to scale hardware to meet CPU needs. But can you play Steam games on MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? Let’s try to find out in this article. 

Does macOS Support Steam?

Initially, Steam was not compatible with running over Mac due to Apple’s proprietary hardware specifications. Mac hardware architecture is different from that of Windows, so gaming developers have to work hard to cater to gaming requirements. But this is not the case today as you can use Steam to download games on all Apple computers. 

However, Windows has simplified it for game developers to scale games with their hardware specs using the popular API, named DirectX. The incompatibility of macOS with many high-end games is not only because of the hardware and software restrictions; Apple’s business model has a major contribution in this context. 

The company aims to offer interactive apps for businesses, professionals, and end users. With an easy subscription, you can get any app from the App Store in a few clicks. In addition to this, unsubscribing from any app is simpler than on any other platform. If you want to learn how to cancel an app subscription, all you need is to visit the App Store, and unsubscribing will not take more than a couple of seconds. 

Gaming never ranked higher in the list of Mac’s top preferences; it’s more focused on delivering a comprehensive suite of creative applications and robust music apps. As gaming becomes more advanced and popular among all age groups, Apple finds it difficult to compete in the gaming market with its App Store.

That’s when the revolution started to scale Apple’s hardware to meet the demands of the ever-rising gaming industry. Mac modified their hardware from proprietary standards to the x86 platform widely used by Windows. With new standards, gaming on Mac becomes feasible, and even lighter models like MacBook Air can be used for gaming. 

This architecture is more agile as it uses Intel chips along with AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, capable of transforming any device into a gaming computer. With the launch of Arcade, Apple is ready to set a benchmark in the gaming arena. Although we are yet to see what’s new, the opponent, Steam is leaving no stone unturned to grab the spot. 

With the rapid technological advancements, Steam is now available for Mac computers as well. So, the answer to your question: can you play Steam games on MacBook Air is – yes, you can. 

If you are looking to install Steam on your MacBook Air, here is the complete guide. Only Intel-based and M1 MacBooks are eligible for the installation.

1. Open Safari or Google Chrome on your MacBook. 
2. Type in www.speampower.com to open the Steam official portal.
3. Tap on Install Steam and click Install Now.
4. Double-click steam.dmg. On Chrome, you will find it on the left side of the window, while on Safari, you can locate it in the Downloads folder displayed in the right corner of the Dock.
5. Wait for the window to appear. Drag the drop the Steam app into the Applications folder.
6. At last, close the window.

Now when you know the method to install Steam on Mac, you must be keen to learn how to download games for free. Contact Support to fix technical glitches while installing Steam on Mac. 

How to Create an Account on Steam?

1. Go to the Applications folder and double-click to open Steam.
2. Click on Create New Account or select Log into an Existed Account if you already have one. 
3. Agree to the terms and enter a username and password to create a new account. 
4. Once you create your Steam account successfully, you will receive a confirmation email on your registered email address.
5. Open your mailbox and click the link. It will redirect you to your Steam account. 
6. You are ready to play games online. 

How to Play Games on Steam?

In your Steam account, click on the Store tab to see the recommended games. Scroll down to see the list of Free Games. Here you can find games for macOS. Click on the title of the game to see system requirements and if it matches your system specifications, you can play the game. 

Click on the Play Game button and tap Next. A local game file will be created locally. You can start to play the game on your computer. In case you wish to purchase a high-end game, click Add to Cart and then select Purchase for me to get the game.