The new M1 2021 iMac is finally out. For such a powerful machine, there are very few games that you can enjoy on this M1 beast. But, this will not stop us from exploiting the games we can play on the new iMac 2021. Gaming on the new iMac is fun and powerful. We’ll see exactly why.
Today, we are going to have a look at some of the popular titles that you can play on the new M1 chip. While some games have compatibility issues with the M1 chip but still there’s a way out. We will explore that in the later sections of this article.
Is iMac good for gaming? There’s no particular answer for this. The sole reason is that there aren’t enough games that run on the new M1-based Macs. Mant games are not compatible under Rosetta and require some kind of emulators like Crossover or the Parallel desktop. Therefore, we cannot make a direct comparison. But with a 4.5K display, gaming is something that we can try out and see what it offers.
In this Article, we'll see:
Which games can you play on the new M1 iMac 2021?
Now, these are some of the games I played on the new iMac 2021.
1) Fortnite – Smoothest game to play on the new iMac 2021?
Fortnite is a pretty addictive game once you get hold of the environment and sweet construction tactics. But the thing we are here for is something else. It tops our list of the games to play on the new iMac 2021 and that too for better reasons. Let us see if you can really game Fortnite on the new 2021 M1 iMac.
Can you play Fortnite on the new iMac 2021? Yes! It was the first game that I tried on my new 2021 iMac base model. And to my surprise, the M1 chip crossed my expectations. Let’s get into the details on this one.
Starting off on low settings on the 4K display of the iMac, the most crucial thing was to look at how the FPS changed over time. Nonetheless, I did saw the FPS range lying somewhat between 60-100. In the player lobby, I did saw a whooping 100 FPS. And during critical and busy sections of the game, the frame rate managed to lie around 75 FPS.
Switching to medium settings, the Frames definitely dropped out. But again, not to an extent where it could have hurt my game (or maybe I am a Pro 🙂 one).
Next, I went crazy enough to max out the settings. The only thing I experienced was severe lag. At an average 10 FPS, it seems that I am not going to max out Fortnite again on this M1 iMac.
Jokes apart, I think there is no need to switch to medium settings. The low settings and an average frame rate of 70 FPS are quite playable if you are a casual gamer. Even if you are one of those serious gamers, maybe try out the higher iMac models.
2) Minecraft
Second game I tried launching was CS:GO. But, it seems like M1 iMac 2021 is not compatible with the popular First person Shooting Title.
Whatever be the case, I went on and downloaded another famous game that goes by the title Minecraft. I love playing Minecraft and testing it on the new M1 iMac 2021 was an exciting little adventure.
Let me tell you one thing first. If you have a non-modded Minecraft, then the average frames that you can easily squeeze lie somewhere in the range of 45-70 FPS
But for a modded version of Minecraft, I don’t think you are going to be pleased with the performance. And neither should you expect a non-gaming PC like M1 iMac to give you a paradise experience in the fully modded Minecraft.
Again, it is not a good idea to stretch settings to Ultra or max out on the base M1 model. The case might be different for High end 2021 iMacs.
Not to forget, don’t forget to check out Minecraft Category on BoltGamer. It will guide you through some of the recipes in the game.
3) Planet Coaster
Planet Coaster was recommended by my friend and I think I am going to play it more. The Genre of Planet Coaster is quite amusing. A theme park where you need to create stuff. Nonetheless, the game opened a wild and creative side of my mind. Playing this on the new iMac was great at 4.5K resolution.
So, is the new M1 iMac 2021 good for playing game such as Planet Coaster. Let’s find out!
For a sim game like Planet Coaster, you are going to get roughly 40-70 FPS on low to medium settings. As you will increase the settings, be prepared to see the frames drop. That’s quite obvious.
In my case, I think the game ran perfectly fine on the new iMac 2021 on 1440p averaging an FPS of around 40-50. Then, I took to Reddit and saw if anyone is getting more than me. Pretty quickly, it turned out the average FPS people are getting on the same settings averaged at around 45.
Lastly, this game is one you must try out on your M1 iMac. Just a personal recommendation. You may find it amusing.
4) Grand Theft Auto V
Playing GTA 5 is not easy on the new M1 iMac 2021 even under Rosetta. The current M1 chip does not support the game. But, there is a way out. You can download a virtual windows machine inside your macOS.
An example of it is Parallels Desktop. If you do not want to install windows on your iMac, an even better option would be Crossover as it does not want windows to run games on your M1 Mac.
Both Crossover and Parallels desktop come with their unique advantages and disadvantages. You just gotta find one that suits your needs.
However, playing GTA V on an emulator might not be the best idea but it is the only choice you’ve got. If you find anyway, please let me know.
If you make your mind to play GTA V on the new M1 equipped iMac 2021, check out our GTA V Guide Category.
5) Rise of Tomb Raider
Rise of Tomb Raider might be an old one but definitely worth playing on the new M1 iMac 2021. The Game is supported under Rosetta 2 and can be pretty much enjoyed if you set your expectations low and settings high. Let me explain!
Playing the Tomb Raider on high settings, the new iMac squeezed somewhere between 40-50 FPS. Changing the settings to Medium, the Frames somewhat increased.
But honestly, I’d rather prefer to play Rise of Tomb Raider at High settings sacrificing some FPS which is not too noticeable.
What are your settings going to be on this one? Mention in the comments below.
6) Dirt 4 – A must try Game to play on new iMac 2021
Talking of different gaming genres, we cannot forget to mention Dirt 4 in this list. It is one of the best racing games on pc. And experiencing the popular car racing game on the new iMac is an absolute pleasure.
Dirt 4 is quite friendly on low-end gaming PCs. Therefore, it makes Dirt 4 an excellent choice to play on the new M1 iMac 2021.
The new M1 iMac squeezed around 45-60 FPS on High to Ultra settings. Pretty good stuff!
It is one of the best games to play on the new iMac 2021.
Consider racing it out!
7) League Of Legends
Trying League of Legends went perfect on the new iMac 2021. And it seems that the new M1 iMac can game this popular title quite well. I was also expecting a good performance from LOL as I have tested it on my M1-based Macbook pro. So, the performance I got was something I anticipated quite early.
Maxing out every possible setting, the new M1-based iMac model gave around 75-90 FPS. And let me tell you that it went even more than that. No Joke!
Conclusion
M1 iMac 2021 may not be the best option for gaming at this point in time. But, I think it is a powerful machine still waiting for gaming development and support in its line. You can see that with the games we have discussed above.
Even though gaming on iMac 2021 or previous versions are limited, we can feel the power of these new M1 chips.
But, in the end, the question remains the same and that is when are we going see more compatible games on the M1 chips and the new iMacs.
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