Native
Runs directly on Apple Silicon — no extra software.
Difficulty: EasyCost: $19.99 (Base Game)Excellent
Rosetta
How to play The Elder Scrolls Online on Mac
MMO · 2014
Not officially supported, but there are workarounds below.
Overall rating: Runs great on Mac · 100% of 6 players say it runs well
Your setup
Detect your Mac to see whether The Elder Scrolls Online will run.
Not officially supported, but there are workarounds below.
How to run The Elder Scrolls Online on your Mac in 2026
Best path: Native Mac build
The Elder Scrolls Online has a native Apple Silicon build — full Metal acceleration, best battery life, zero faff.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NativePick | Excellent | Easy | Game price only | |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 /mo | Get it ↗ |
| GeForce NOW | Estimate | Easy | Free / $9.99 /mo | Get it ↗ |
The Elder Scrolls Online
80
Metacritic
Every legend starts somewhere and in The Elder Scrolls Online, it starts with you. Join millions of players in an online, fantasy RPG set in a vast living Elder Scrolls world.
ESO runs very well on Apple Silicon via its native (Rosetta 2) Mac client, providing a stable and complete experience without the need for complex workarounds. 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 The Elder Scrolls Online runs on your Mac, from our performance model and player reports.
See exactly how The Elder Scrolls Online will run on your Mac
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Best way to play it on Mac
ESO runs very well on Apple Silicon via its native (Rosetta 2) Mac client, providing a stable and complete experience without the need for complex workarounds. 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 The Elder Scrolls Online on Mac
Native play is available, and 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
- NativeNativeTop pickSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- BoosteroidCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
- GeForce NOWCloudSetupSimpleTime5 minOverheadLow
Where to buy The Elder Scrolls Online
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 The Elder Scrolls Online on Mac with Native
Excellent· NativeThe Elder Scrolls Online 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 The Elder Scrolls Online.
- Confirm the product page lists macOS / Apple Silicon support.
- Install and launch — no extra tools needed.
Video proof
How to run The Elder Scrolls Online on Mac with Boosteroid
Estimate· StreamingStreaming The Elder Scrolls Online 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 Elder Scrolls Online 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 The Elder Scrolls Online on Mac with GeForce NOW
Estimate· StreamingStreaming The Elder Scrolls Online 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 The Elder Scrolls Online.
- 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 Native as the fastest, smoothest way to play The Elder Scrolls Online. Runs directly on Apple Silicon — no extra software.
| Method | Quality | Difficulty | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| NativePick | Excellent | Easy | Game price only |
| Boosteroid | Estimate | Easy | $9.95 / month |
| GeForce NOW | Estimate | Easy | Free tier / $9.99+ per month |
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