Parallels
Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.
Difficulty: EasyCost: €9.89/mo (Boosteroid)Estimate
Streaming
How to play The Bus on Mac
Simulation · 2026
Best played by streaming from the cloud to your Mac.
Overall rating: Not enough votes yet
Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether The Bus will run.
Best played by streaming from the cloud to your Mac.
How to run The Bus 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 ↗ |
The Bus
Transport passengers in the city bus simulation The Bus along 1:1 scale routes in Berlin, passing landmarks like the Victory Column, Brandenburg Gate, and Alexanderplatz. In the Scania Citywide LF and other licensed buses, sell tickets, handle traffic, and get everyone to their destination safely.
The Bus is currently unplayable locally on Apple Silicon due to high demands and API incompatibilities; cloud streaming via Boosteroid is the only reliable way to play.
What the world thinks
- Subscription: Sign up for a Boosteroid account and subscribe to the 'Start' or 'Ultimate' plan.
- App Setup: Download the native Boosteroid app for macOS instead of using a browser for lower input latency.
- Connection: Ensure you are on a 5GHz Wi-Fi band or, ideally, an Ethernet connection (25Mbps minimum recommended).
- Launch: Search for 'The Bus' (Steam version) in the library, log in to your Steam account within the remote session, and launch the game.
There are currently no viable local alternatives for The Bus on Apple Silicon.
Performance
How The Bus runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.
See exactly how The Bus will run on your Mac
Pick your chip and RAM for a personalised estimate.
Best way to play it on Mac
The Bus is currently unplayable locally on Apple Silicon due to high demands and API incompatibilities; cloud streaming via Boosteroid is the only reliable way to play.
See if this is the right method for your setup
Ways to play The Bus on Mac
Here are all the options available, ranked by what we recommend first.
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
- ParallelsVMTop pickSetupModerateTime30 minOverheadHigh
- BoosteroidCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
Where to buy The Bus
Live prices compared across trusted PC key sellers — updates every few hours.
Platform-by-platform reliability
Loading per-platform notes…
Step-by-step setup guides
Idiot-proof walkthroughs for every method.
How to run The Bus on Mac with Parallels
Estimate· CompatibilityUsing Parallels to play The Bus 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 The Bus.
- 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 The Bus on Mac with Boosteroid
Estimate· StreamingStreaming The Bus 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 The Bus 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 Parallels as the fastest, smoothest way to play The Bus. Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ParallelsPick | Good | Medium | $99/year + Windows licence |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 / month |
Comments
Share what worked for you running The Bus on Mac.
Loading comments…