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Myths vs reality: What you need to know about developing for the Mac

November 15, 2021 in Games | 3 min. read
Apple E-book
Apple E-book
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Our latest e-book explains how to take advantage of the Apple ecosystem while avoiding myths and misconceptions.

As the number of Mac users grows by the day, so do the opportunities for game developers on the Mac. In Q1 2021 alone, Apple notebooks represented an astonishing 94% quarterly unit growth year-over-year, highlighting the ripe opportunity to develop your next game (or build an existing project) for macOS. 

To help our community take advantage of these opportunities, Unity introduced our standalone player for Apple silicon last year, ensuring that Unity games would be ready for this exciting new version of macOS. In Unity 2021.2, we have brought macOS development workflows natively to M1 with Editor support for Apple silicon. You can access the Apple silicon builds directly from the Hub beta, or you can download the standalone installer directly. Instructions for both can be found on the forums, and more information about the Hub beta can be found in the Hub forum.

Sometimes successful studios hesitate to develop for the Mac because they don’t yet appreciate its power and flexibility for gaming. It’s natural to be cautious about entering an unfamiliar development environment, especially when you’re aiming to reach your fans on a platform for the first time.

To dispel these myths and further educate you on the expanding opportunities available for developers thinking about bringing games to macOS, we’ve created a brand new e-book: Myths vs reality: What you need to know about developing for the Mac. This e-book highlights how developers brought critically acclaimed, commercially successful games to life on the Mac, from the otherworldly aquatic depths of Subnautica, to the classic cartoon stylings of Cuphead to the haunting shivers of solving a murder in Disco Elysium. 

This free e-book unpacks the realities behind myths and misconceptions that some people have about developing for macOS: 

Myth #1: The Mac isn’t for games.

Reality: Apple silicon-fueled Macs offer incredible processing power for stunning game experiences.

Myth #2: You need a Mac to start building for Mac.

Reality: You can tap into Mac’s vast audience from any development environment.

Myth #3: Macs are too compact for peak performance.

Reality: Never underestimate the performance of the Mac.

Myth #4: You can’t go big on game graphics.

Reality: Harness the right development tools to unlock the ambitious graphical fidelity and awe-inspiring visuals possible on a Mac.

Myth #5: Builds for Mac are more complicated than other desktop platforms.

Reality: Building games is hard for any platform. Make sure you have the tools to do it right.

Start adding Mac games to your development roadmap in 2022

There’s no magic formula that unlocks a flawless, carefree development cycle. Making video games is a challenge no matter which platform you develop for, but bringing your game to Mac is a great first step into the Apple ecosystem, one that opens your studio up to entirely new audiences. We cover all of the above myths and realities in detail in the full e-book. Download the e-book for free to better understand the opportunities of developing your next game for macOS. 

Our team is always here to help you take on the right tools and services to make sure you’re supported throughout your game development journey, from concept to commercialization. If you’re ready to get going, you can access Unity Pro today or talk to one of our experts to learn how we can help you take your game to the next level. 

November 15, 2021 in Games | 3 min. read

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