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Parallels

How to play Beat Saber on Mac

· 2019

Best in a Windows 11 ARM virtual machine via Parallels.

Overall rating: Not enough votes yet

Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether Beat Saber will run.

Best in a Windows 11 ARM virtual machine via Parallels.

How to run Beat Saber on your Mac in 2026

Best path: Parallels

Should run in a Windows 11 ARM virtual machine (Parallels). This is an estimate — not a verified report. Demanding 3D titles may need lower settings.

  • Heads up on Parallels: Estimated compatibility — no verified report yet
MethodQualityDifficultyCost
ParallelsPickGoodMedium$99/yrGet it ↗

Beat Saber

Slice colored blocks to the rhythm in this VR music game. Its distinctive blend of physical activity and satisfyingly precise slicing makes for an exhilarating experience.

This VR rhythm game can be played via Parallels, though performance heavily depends on the headset and Mac model.

What the world thinks

Performance

How Beat Saber runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.

See exactly how Beat Saber will run on your Mac

Pick your chip and RAM for a personalised estimate.

Best way to play it on Mac

This VR rhythm game can be played via Parallels, though performance heavily depends on the headset and Mac model.

See if this is the right method for your setup

Ways to play Beat Saber on Mac

Here are all the options available, ranked by what we recommend first.

Compare methods at a glance

Lower = better

How each supported method stacks up on setup effort, time and runtime overhead.

  • ParallelsVMTop pick
    Setup
    Moderate
    Time
    30 min
    Overhead
    High

Where to buy Beat Saber

Live prices compared across trusted PC key sellers — updates every few hours.

Platform-by-platform reliability

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Step-by-step setup guides

Idiot-proof walkthroughs for every method.

How to run Beat Saber on Mac with Parallels

Estimate· Compatibility

Using Parallels to play Beat Saber means running a full copy of Windows 11 ARM inside macOS. This is the most "it just works" approach for games that don't behave under CrossOver, and DirectX 11 is hardware-accelerated. You'll need a Windows license and roughly 80 GB of disk space.

Step-by-step

  1. Buy / start a trial of Parallels Desktop.
  2. Install Windows 11 ARM via the one-click wizard.
  3. Inside Windows, install Steam / Xbox app and Beat Saber.
  4. Enable DirectX 11 in Parallels settings for best 3D performance.

Video proof

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Our recommendation

For most Mac players we recommend Parallels as the fastest, smoothest way to play Beat Saber. Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.

MethodQualityDifficultyCost
ParallelsPickGoodMedium$99/year + Windows licence
Try Parallels Desktop free

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