Gaming and Mac weren’t synonymous until WWDC 2023 when macOS Sonoma bought an all-new and much anticipated Game Mode. Developers can now port their already-existing games from other platforms to macOS in a breeze, all thanks to Metal 3’s new game porting toolkit. With the porting process being much more streamlined now, we can expect a truckload of games to arrive soon with the stable releases of macOS Sonoma.

However, since good things take time, playing popular titles like Genshin Impact on Mac is still far from ideal, as there is no native support for the game yet. But fret not; playing Genshin Impact on Mac is possible using a few workarounds. So, whether you have an Intel-based Mac or an Apple silicon one, read along to know more.

Why Can’t Macs Run Genshin Impact Natively?

As for many other popular titles, games like Genshin Impact are unlikely to see the daylight, mainly because Macs aren’t popular among gamers. And since most Macs lack a dedicated graphics processing unit, it doesn’t make much sense for developers to pour their time and effort into making their games compatible with macOS.

It was possible to run games on Mac using Windows emulators earlier, but the support slowly faded after Apple silicon-based Macs were announced. Not just that, Genshin Impact’s strict anti-cheat policies prevent the game from running using Windows emulators. Moreover, Apple didn’t seem to be interested for the longest time.

How to Play Genshin Impact on Mac

The answer is relatively simple – Cloud Gaming. Popularized during the pandemic era, cloud gaming allows users to play games on the cloud, thus eliminating the need for state-of-the-art hardware and storage space. Anyone with a stable internet connection can hop on one of the many cloud gaming platforms and start playing instantly.

It may sound magical initially, but the concept behind it is pretty straightforward. You are essentially using your network bandwidth to play games on someone else’s servers, which happens to be in the cloud. This directly eliminates hardware limitations. While there are a plethora of cloud gaming platforms on the internet, the ones we would recommend are GeForce Now and Boosteroid.

Before proceeding, let it be known that GeForce Now and Boosteroid are paid services. Though GeForce Now offers a free plan, it’s limited to an hour of gameplay per session. Unfortunately, Boosteroid doesn’t offer anything as such, so you’ll have to shell off some cash to try it out.

Play Genshin Impact on Mac Using GeForce Now

GeForce Now is NVIDIA’s cloud gaming solution, which is a famous GPU manufacturer. To ensure a ceaseless gaming session, GeForce Now recommends a minimum of 15Mbps internet connection for 720p gameplay and 25Mbps for 1080p gameplay.

While GeForce Now is available in most major nations, including the USA, Japan, Australia, Russia, and the EU, you may have to access it using a VPN, if unavailable in your country. Follow the steps below to play Genshin Impact on Mac using GeForce Now.

1. Head to GeForce Now’s website and select the Download option under Mac OS.
   
2. Once the file is installed, open and install the .dmg file on your system by dragging the app into your Applications folder.
   
3. The app should show up in the applications folder now. Run the application and select Open once macOS asks for your confirmation.
   
4. Once you’re in, type Genshin Impact in the address bar and hit Enter.
   
5. Select the game and click on Play. You’ll be required to create an NVIDIA account first if you don’t have one or log in if you already do.
   
6. Once the game loads, sign in with your Genshin Impact account and start playing.
   

You can play the game directly in your browser to avoid the installation hassle. We suggest using Google Chrome, but other browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera should work fine. Again, you may need a VPN to access the site. For the procedure, follow the steps below.

1. Visit GeForce Now’s website.
   
2. Search for Genshin Impact in the address bar.
   
3. Click on the game and select Play.
   
4. Click on Join Today and sign in to your NVIDIA account. Create a new account if necessary.
   
5. The game will now run in a separate window. A prompt will ask you to sign in with your Genshin Impact account and proceed accordingly.
   

If you want a more enhanced gaming experience, consider upgrading your GeForce Now account to Priority or Ultimate tiers with perks like high-resolution gameplay, priority access to premium servers, and longer gaming sessions. Prices for the Priority and Ultimate tiers start from $9.99/month and $19.99/month, respectively.

Play Genshin Impact on Mac Using Boosteroid

As mentioned earlier, Boosteroid is a paid cloud gaming platform, so you must pay upfront to access the games. To play Genshin Impact on your Mac using Boosteroid, proceed as follows.

1.  Head over to Boosteroid’s website.
   
2. Click on Play Now. Then, Sign in using your Google or Boosteroid account.
   
3. Search for Genshin Impact by clicking on the search icon.
   
4. Select the game and hit Play.
   
5. Make your purchase and start playing.
   

Alternatively, you can install the Boosteroid macOS client. To do so –

1. Visit Boosteroid’s website here and select macOS.
   
2. Once the .dmg file is downloaded, click on Open and drag it into your Applications Folder.
3. Open the application from Launchpad and select Open in the following dialogue box.
   
4. Choose your preferred method and sign in.
   
5. Search for Genshin Impact in the address bar. Hit Play.
   
6. Make your purchase and enjoy the game!
   

Boosteroid may not offer a free plan, but the pricing is a little more competitive than GeForce Now, starting at just €7.49/month for the annual plan and €9.89/month for the monthly plan. Do note that the gameplay is capped at 1080p at 60fps regardless of your chosen plan.

Play Genshin Impact on Mac Using Boot Camp (Intel-Based Macs Only)

In 2006, Apple introduced Boot Camp — a new feature in Mac OS X version 10.5 “Leopard” that allowed users to install and run Windows OS on their Macs. Sadly, with the announcement of M1 Macs in 2020, Apple terminated the support for Boot Camp. The ability to run full-blown Windows OS on Mac came with the added perk of running PC games properly and natively.

As good as it may sound, installing Boot Camp is quite a task. Before initiating, check if your Mac has an Intel processor by clicking the Apple logo () in the top-left corner and selecting About This Mac. In our case, it’s the Apple M1 chip, not an Intel chip. We recommend checking out MacHow2’s guide on how to install Windows 11 on Mac for free with Boot Camp.

Installing Genshin Impact on Mac after that is as easy as slicing through butter. Follow the steps below for the same.

1. Head over to Genshin Impact’s official site.
2. Click on the option stating Windows.
   
3. Run the program after the installation is complete.

Enjoy Playing Genshin Impact on Mac

Apple may not be known for producing the finest gaming machines, but now you can indeed play Genshin Impact on Mac without any bounds. Cloud Gaming often proves miraculous, and this is one such instance. Boot Camp surprisingly works wonders on older Macs, despite being over a decade and a half old. Follow the above steps religiously to ensure a perfect experience. Get grinding, gamers!

FAQs on Playing Genshin on Mac