Parallels
Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $74 (CrossOver) or Free (Whisky)Estimate
Streaming
How to play Saints Row IV on Mac
Action · 2013
Best played by streaming from the cloud to your Mac.
Overall rating: Not enough votes yet
Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether Saints Row IV will run.
Best played by streaming from the cloud to your Mac.
How to run Saints Row IV 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
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ParallelsPick | Good | Medium | $99/yr | Get it ↗ |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 /mo | Get it ↗ |
| GeForce NOW | Estimate | Easy | Free / $9.99 /mo | Get it ↗ |
Saints Row IV
Experience the insane antics of Saints Row IV. The Saints have gone from the Penthouse to the White House - but Earth has been invaded and it’s up to you to save it with an arsenal of superpowers and strange weapons, in the wildest open world game ever.
Saints Row IV runs excellently on Apple Silicon via CrossOver or Whisky, providing a near-native experience with smooth framerates on virtually all M-series chips.
What the world thinks
- Install CrossOver (v23.5 or newer recommended).
- Create a new bottle and search for "Saints Row IV". The installer will automatically select the Steam version.
- Before launching, go to the Bottle Settings in the right-hand sidebar and ensure DXVK is enabled. D3DMetal is typically not required for this era of game and may cause stability issues.
- Launch Steam and download the game.
- If the game crashes on startup, try launching the game in Windowed mode via the game's launcher or by adding
-windowedto the Steam launch options.
Parallels Desktop
If you already own a Parallels subscription, the game runs quite well in a Windows 11 ARM VM. Because the game is older (2013), the overhead of virtualization is manageable for M1/M2/M3 chips. However, you may experience slightly more input lag compared to CrossOver and lower peak frame rates.
Performance
How Saints Row IV runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.
See exactly how Saints Row IV will run on your Mac
Pick your chip and RAM for a personalised estimate.
Best way to play it on Mac
Saints Row IV runs excellently on Apple Silicon via CrossOver or Whisky, providing a near-native experience with smooth framerates on virtually all M-series chips.
See if this is the right method for your setup
Ways to play Saints Row IV on Mac
Boosteroid and GeForce NOW are also available for cloud performance on a strong connection.
Boosteroid
Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $9.95 / monthEstimate
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
- ParallelsVMTop pickSetupModerateTime30 minOverheadHigh
- BoosteroidCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- GeForce NOWCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
Where to buy Saints Row IV
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 Saints Row IV on Mac with Parallels
Estimate· CompatibilityUsing Parallels to play Saints Row IV 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 Saints Row IV.
- 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 Saints Row IV on Mac with Boosteroid
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Saints Row IV 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 Saints Row IV 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 Saints Row IV on Mac with GeForce NOW
Estimate· StreamingStreaming Saints Row IV 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 Saints Row IV.
- 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
For most Mac players we recommend Parallels as the fastest, smoothest way to play Saints Row IV. Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ParallelsPick | Good | Medium | $99/year + Windows licence |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 / month |
| GeForce NOW | Estimate | Easy | Free tier / $9.99+ per month |
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