Valve has finally delivered what Mac gamers have been waiting for – a native Apple Silicon version of Steam. With the latest beta release, Steam for Mac no longer relies on Rosetta 2, Apple’s translation layer for Intel-based apps. This marks a significant milestone for gaming on macOS, bringing faster performance, smoother navigation, and better efficiency.
Since Apple introduced its M-series chips, developers have been transitioning their apps to run natively on Apple Silicon. However, Steam remained dependent on Rosetta 2, which added performance overhead and made the experience sluggish. The new beta eliminates this issue, allowing Steam to run directly on Apple Silicon, improving launch times and responsiveness.
Early testers report that the Steam client now loads much faster, and navigating through the Store, Library, and Community tabs feels significantly smoother. The Chromium-based interface, which previously struggled under Intel emulation, now runs seamlessly on M-series Macs. This means less lag, quicker interactions, and a more fluid gaming experience.
How to Try the Beta
Mac users eager to test the new Steam beta can enable it by following these steps:
- Open Steam and go to Settings.
- Navigate to Interface.
- Select Steam Beta Update from the Client Beta Participation dropdown.
- Restart Steam to apply the update.
Once updated, users can verify that Steam is running natively by checking Activity Monitor – it should display “Kind: Apple” instead of “Kind: Intel.”
Apple recently announced that macOS Tahoe will be the last version supporting Intel Macs, with Rosetta 2 set for deprecation in macOS 28. This shift makes Valve’s decision to release a native Steam client even more crucial, ensuring that Mac gamers can continue enjoying their favorite titles without compatibility concerns.
While this update doesn’t change game compatibility – Windows-only titles will still require tools like Crossover or Parallels – it does improve the overall experience for Mac users. With Apple pushing its Game Porting Toolkit, the future of gaming on macOS looks promising.
For South African gamers using Mac, this update is a significant step forward. Whether you’re playing indie gems or AAA titles, Steam’s native Apple Silicon support ensures a smoother, faster, and more optimized gaming experience.
