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CrossOver

How to play Helldivers 2 PSN on Mac

Shooter · 2024

Best played through CrossOver on Apple Silicon.

Overall rating: Not enough votes yet

Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether Helldivers 2 PSN will run.

Best played through CrossOver on Apple Silicon.

How to run Helldivers 2 PSN on your Mac in 2026

Best path: CrossOver

CrossOver runs the Windows version of Helldivers 2 PSN on Apple Silicon by translating DirectX to Metal. One-click install, no Windows virtual machine, full local performance.

MethodQualityDifficultyCost
CrossOverPickGoodMedium$74 / $39/yrGet it ↗
ParallelsEstimateMedium$99/yrGet it ↗
BoosteroidEstimateEasy$9.95 /moGet it ↗
Get CrossOver Try Parallels Buy on AllKeyShop See all methods & install guide ↓

Helldivers 2 PSN

Helldivers 2 is a cooperative third-person shooter where players act as elite soldiers spreading managed democracy across a hostile galaxy. You and up to three teammates deploy to alien planets to complete tactical objectives, call in powerful orbital strikes, and fight massive swarms of Terminids or robotic Automatons. The experience is defined by intense combat and a satirical tone that parodies militaristic propaganda.

The gameplay loop focuses on high-stakes missions where friendly fire is always active and resource management is constant. Between battles, you upgrade your ship and unlock new stratagems to tackle increasing difficulty levels. Its emergent chaos and communal galactic war effort create a unique social dynamic rarely found in other multiplayer shooters.

Helldivers 2 runs in CrossOver 26 on Apple Silicon, and CodeWeavers says multiplayer works, as its nProtect GameGuard anti-cheat runs under translation. This is the same Steam game as the main Helldivers 2 entry.

Buy on AllKeyShopSee how to play it on your Mac

What the world thinks

Performance

How Helldivers 2 PSN runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.

See exactly how Helldivers 2 PSN will run on your Mac

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Best way to play it on Mac

Helldivers 2 runs in CrossOver 26 on Apple Silicon, and CodeWeavers says multiplayer works, as its nProtect GameGuard anti-cheat runs under translation. This is the same Steam game as the main Helldivers 2 entry.

Buy on AllKeyShopSee how to play it on your Mac
See if this is the right method for your setup

Ways to play Helldivers 2 PSN 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.

  • CrossOverTranslationTop pick
    Setup
    Moderate
    Time
    15 min
    Overhead
    Medium
  • BoosteroidCloud
    Setup
    Simple
    Time
    5 min
    Overhead
    Low
  • ParallelsVM
    Setup
    Moderate
    Time
    30 min
    Overhead
    High

Where to buy Helldivers 2 PSN

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Step-by-step setup guides

Idiot-proof walkthroughs for every method.

How to run Helldivers 2 PSN on Mac with CrossOver

Good· Compatibility

Running Helldivers 2 PSN through CrossOver translates its Windows DirectX calls into Metal on Apple Silicon — no reboot, no Windows license, no virtual machine. Most setup time is spent on first-time bottle configuration and installing the game launcher (Steam, Epic, etc.) inside CrossOver. Once that's done, launching feels close to native. Expect 15–30 minutes of setup on the first run.

Step-by-step

Step 1 — Create a bottle

  1. Open CrossOver → click New Bottle
  2. Name it after the game (e.g. Helldivers 2 PSN) and choose Windows 10 64-bit
  3. Open the bottle's Settings and set:

- Graphics: D3DMetal (not DXVK)

- Synchronization: ESync

- High Resolution Mode: Off

Step 2 — Install the game launcher

  1. Inside CrossOver, click Install Application → search for Steam (or Epic Games Launcher if you own it there)
  2. Install it into the same bottle you just created
  3. Launch Steam, log in, and let it fully update before proceeding

Step 3 — Install and launch Helldivers 2 PSN

  1. Open Steam (or your launcher) inside CrossOver
  2. Install Helldivers 2 PSN through the launcher as normal
  3. Launch the game — use the launcher's Play button, not CrossOver directly
  4. First launch may take 30–90 seconds to show a window. Don't force-quit unless it hangs for several minutes.

Step 4 — If you hit issues

  • Black screen / stuck in small window: go to Settings → Graphics in-game, set Screen Type to Fullscreen, then restart
  • Resolution resets on every launch: find the game's config/settings file and set the resolution values manually, then mark the file Read-Only to prevent the game overwriting it
  • Crashes on startup: try switching the bottle's Synchronization from ESync to MSync, or vice versa

Video proof

Try CrossOver free for 14 days ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.

How to run Helldivers 2 PSN on Mac with Parallels

Estimate· Compatibility

Using Parallels to play Helldivers 2 PSN 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 Helldivers 2 PSN.
  4. Enable DirectX 11 in Parallels settings for best 3D performance.

Video proof

Try Parallels Desktop free ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.

How to run Helldivers 2 PSN on Mac with Boosteroid

Estimate· Streaming

Streaming Helldivers 2 PSN 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

  1. Create a Boosteroid account and pick a plan.
  2. Use the web client or download the macOS app.
  3. Add Helldivers 2 PSN 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.

Our recommendation

For most Mac players the best way to play Helldivers 2 PSN on Mac is CrossOver. One-click local install, official support.

MethodQualityDifficultyCost
CrossOverPickGoodMedium$74 one-time / $39/year
ParallelsEstimateMedium$99/year + Windows licence
BoosteroidEstimateEasy$9.95 / month
Try CrossOver free for 14 days

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