Native
Runs directly on Apple Silicon — no extra software.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $24.99Excellent
Streaming
How to play Dead Cells on Mac
Roguelike · 2018
Runs natively on Apple Silicon, no extra software needed.
Overall rating: Runs great on Mac · 100% of 6 players say it runs well
Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether Dead Cells will run.
Runs natively on Apple Silicon, no extra software needed.
How to run Dead Cells on your Mac in 2026
Best path: Native Mac build
Dead Cells has a native Apple Silicon build, so you get full Metal acceleration, the best battery life and zero faff.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NativePick | Excellent | Easy | Game price only | |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 /mo | Get it ↗ |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | Estimate | Easy | $16.99 /mo | Get it ↗ |
| Luna | Estimate | Easy | $9.99 /mo | Get it ↗ |
| Steam Link | Estimate | Advanced | Free | Get it ↗ |
| GeForce NOW | Estimate | Easy | Free / $9.99 /mo | Get it ↗ |
Dead Cells
89
Metacritic
10.0
Metacritic Users
Explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle in this fast-paced roguelike action-platformer. Master fluid combat and unlock new abilities to overcome procedurally generated levels and challenging bosses.
The Mac build is Intel-only (x86_64) and runs on Apple Silicon through Rosetta 2 translation — it's a Mac app, but not a true arm64 native one. Expect a ~10–15% performance tax versus a real native port.
What the world thinks
Performance
How Dead Cells runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.
See exactly how Dead Cells will run on your Mac
Pick your chip and RAM for a personalised estimate.
Best way to play it on Mac
The Mac build is Intel-only (x86_64) and runs on Apple Silicon through Rosetta 2 translation — it's a Mac app, but not a true arm64 native one. Expect a ~10–15% performance tax versus a real native port.
See if this is the right method for your setup
Ways to play Dead Cells on Mac
Native play is available, and GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming and Luna and Boosteroid and Steam Link are also available for cloud performance on a strong connection.
Boosteroid
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $9.95 / monthEstimate
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: EasyCost: Game Pass Ultimate subscriptionEstimate
Luna
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $9.99 / monthEstimate
Steam Link
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: AdvancedCost: FreeEstimate
GeForce NOW
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: EasyCost: Free tier / $9.99+ per monthEstimate
Compare methods at a glance
Lower = betterHow each supported method stacks up on setup effort, time and runtime overhead.
Method
Setup Difficulty
Time Investment
Performance Overhead
- NativeNativeTop pickSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- GeForce NOWCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- Xbox Cloud GamingCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- LunaCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- BoosteroidCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- Steam LinkRemoteSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
Where to buy Dead Cells
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 Dead Cells on Mac with Native
Excellent· NativeDead Cells has a native Apple Silicon build, which is the gold standard for playing on a Mac. You get full Metal acceleration, best battery life, and no compatibility weirdness. Just buy it from the Mac App Store or Steam for Mac and play.
Step-by-step
- Use the verified store link on this page, or open the store where you already own Dead Cells.
- Confirm the product page lists macOS / Apple Silicon support.
- Install and launch — no extra tools needed.
Video proof
How to run Dead Cells on Mac with Boosteroid
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Dead Cells through Boosteroid is the fastest way to start playing on a Mac — there's nothing to install, no Windows VM, no compatibility layer. The game runs on a remote GPU and your Mac just receives the video, which means even a base M1 MacBook Air can play the most demanding AAA titles at high settings. The tradeoff is that you need a stable internet connection (ideally wired or 5GHz Wi-Fi with 25+ Mbps down) and a subscription.
Step-by-step
- Create a Boosteroid account and pick a plan.
- Use the web client or download the macOS app.
- Add Dead Cells from their library (you'll need to own it on Steam/Epic).
Video proof
Get Boosteroid ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.
How to run Dead Cells on Mac with Xbox Cloud Gaming
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Dead Cells through Xbox Cloud Gaming is the fastest way to start playing on a Mac — there's nothing to install, no Windows VM, no compatibility layer. The game runs on a remote GPU and your Mac just receives the video, which means even a base M1 MacBook Air can play the most demanding AAA titles at high settings. The tradeoff is that you need a stable internet connection (ideally wired or 5GHz Wi-Fi with 25+ Mbps down) and a subscription.
Step-by-step
- Get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
- Open xbox.com/play in Safari, Chrome, or Edge.
- Search Dead Cells and click Play — no install required.
Video proof
Open Xbox Cloud Gaming ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.
How to run Dead Cells on Mac with Luna
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Dead Cells through Luna is the fastest way to start playing on a Mac — there's nothing to install, no Windows VM, no compatibility layer. The game runs on a remote GPU and your Mac just receives the video, which means even a base M1 MacBook Air can play the most demanding AAA titles at high settings. The tradeoff is that you need a stable internet connection (ideally wired or 5GHz Wi-Fi with 25+ Mbps down) and a subscription.
Step-by-step
- Subscribe to Amazon Luna.
- Open luna.amazon.com in your browser, or install the Luna web app.
- Find Dead Cells in your channel and stream.
Video proof
Get Luna ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.
How to run Dead Cells on Mac with Steam Link
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Dead Cells through Steam Link is the fastest way to start playing on a Mac — there's nothing to install, no Windows VM, no compatibility layer. The game runs on a remote GPU and your Mac just receives the video, which means even a base M1 MacBook Air can play the most demanding AAA titles at high settings. The tradeoff is that you need a stable internet connection (ideally wired or 5GHz Wi-Fi with 25+ Mbps down) and a subscription.
Step-by-step
- Install Steam Link on your Mac.
- Have a gaming PC on the same network running Steam with Dead Cells installed.
- Pair and stream — wired connection strongly recommended.
Video proof
Get Steam Link ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.
How to run Dead Cells on Mac with GeForce NOW
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Dead Cells through GeForce NOW is the fastest way to start playing on a Mac — there's nothing to install, no Windows VM, no compatibility layer. The game runs on a remote GPU and your Mac just receives the video, which means even a base M1 MacBook Air can play the most demanding AAA titles at high settings. The tradeoff is that you need a stable internet connection (ideally wired or 5GHz Wi-Fi with 25+ Mbps down) and a subscription.
Step-by-step
- Sign up at GeForce NOW. The free tier works; Ultimate gives 4K/120fps.
- Download the GeForce NOW Mac app (Apple Silicon native).
- Link your Steam / Epic / Xbox account that owns Dead Cells.
- Search the title in the app and click Play.
Video proof
Start playing on GeForce NOW ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.
Our recommendation
Dead Cells has a native Apple Silicon build, so installing it natively is the best way to play it on your Mac. Runs directly on Apple Silicon — no extra software.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| NativePick | Excellent | Easy | Game price only |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 / month |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | Estimate | Easy | Game Pass Ultimate subscription |
| Luna | Estimate | Easy | $9.99 / month |
| Steam Link | Estimate | Advanced | Free |
| GeForce NOW | Estimate | Easy | Free tier / $9.99+ per month |
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