CrossOver
One-click local install, official support.
Difficulty: MediumCost: $30Good
CrossOver
How to play Path of Exile 2 on Mac
Action · 2024
Plays smoothly through CrossOver on Apple Silicon.
Overall rating: Runs great on Mac · 80% of 197 players say it runs well
Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether Path of Exile 2 will run.
Plays smoothly through CrossOver on Apple Silicon.
How to run Path of Exile 2 on your Mac in 2026
Best path: CrossOver
CrossOver runs Path of Exile 2 natively on Apple Silicon by translating DirectX to Metal. One-click install, no Windows VM, full local performance.
Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2 is a dark fantasy action RPG where players battle hordes of monsters with deep character customization. Its immense skill tree and gear crafting system offer unparalleled build diversity and long-term engagement.
Path of Exile 2 runs on Mac through CrossOver, a Windows compatibility layer that translates DirectX calls into Metal on Apple Silicon.
What the world thinks
Performance
How Path of Exile 2 runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.
See exactly how Path of Exile 2 will run on your Mac
Pick your chip and RAM for a personalised estimate.
Recommended settings
Base chips
M1 / M2 / M3 / M4 Base · MacBook Neo
1080p30-45 FPS
Preset: Medium
- D3DMetalEnabled
- ESyncEnabled
- Texture QualityHigh
- Shadow QualityMedium
- Shader QualityMedium
M1/M2 Base chips get 30-45fps. Heavier in dense outdoor areas. D3DMetal and ESync are mandatory — create a new Windows 10 64-bit bottle for best results.
Pro chips
M1 / M2 / M3 / M4 Pro
1080p55-70 FPS
Preset: High
- D3DMetalEnabled
- ESyncEnabled
- Texture QualityUltra
- Shadow QualityHigh
- Shader QualityHigh
M3 Pro / M2 Max delivers smooth 60fps in most zones. A few demanding areas may dip to 50fps.
Max · Ultra
M1 / M2 / M3 / M4 Max & Ultra
1440p60-80 FPS
Preset: Ultra
- D3DMetalEnabled
- ESyncEnabled
- Texture QualityUltra
- Shadow QualityUltra
- Shader QualityUltra
Max chips can push 1440p Ultra with consistent 60-80fps. The game has no built-in upscaling, so render at native resolution for best image quality.
Don't know your tier?
Sources: pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3707551 · macresearch.org
Best way to play it on Mac
Path of Exile 2 runs on Mac through CrossOver, a Windows compatibility layer that translates DirectX calls into Metal on Apple Silicon.
See if this is the right method for your setup
Ways to play Path of Exile 2 on Mac
Here are all the options available, ranked by what we recommend first.
Parallels
Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.
Difficulty: MediumCost: $99/year + Windows licenceEstimate
Boosteroid
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $9.95 / 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
- CrossOverTranslationTop pickSetupModerateTime15 minOverheadMedium
- BoosteroidCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- ParallelsVMSetupModerateTime30 minOverheadHigh
Where to buy Path of Exile 2
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 Path of Exile 2 on Mac with CrossOver
Good· CompatibilityRunning Path of Exile 2 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
- Open CrossOver → click New Bottle
- Name it after the game (e.g.
Path of Exile 2) and choose Windows 10 64-bit - Open the bottle's Settings and set:
- Graphics: D3DMetal (not DXVK)
- Synchronization: ESync
- High Resolution Mode: Off
Step 2 — Install the game launcher
- Inside CrossOver, click Install Application → search for Steam (or Epic Games Launcher if you own it there)
- Install it into the same bottle you just created
- Launch Steam, log in, and let it fully update before proceeding
Step 3 — Install and launch Path of Exile 2
- Open Steam (or your launcher) inside CrossOver
- Install Path of Exile 2 through the launcher as normal
- Launch the game — use the launcher's Play button, not CrossOver directly
- 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 Path of Exile 2 on Mac with Parallels
Estimate· CompatibilityUsing Parallels to play Path of Exile 2 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
- Buy / start a trial of Parallels Desktop.
- Install Windows 11 ARM via the one-click wizard.
- Inside Windows, install Steam / Xbox app and Path of Exile 2.
- 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 Path of Exile 2 on Mac with Boosteroid
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Path of Exile 2 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 Path of Exile 2 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 we recommend CrossOver as the fastest, smoothest way to play Path of Exile 2. One-click local install, official support.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrossOverPick | Good | Medium | $74 one-time / $39/year |
| Parallels | Estimate | Medium | $99/year + Windows licence |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 / month |
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