Macs are beasts in computers and laptops, but when it comes to buying a gaming computer, gamers usually prefer Windows-based PCs.
Yes, Macs have their limitations and constraints when it comes to gaming, but it is a secure and robust system that can handle gaming configurations, speed and settings. Of course, you must know a few tricks to tweak your Mac so that gaming doesn’t suck.
From purging inactive memory to making enough space to download your favorite games and learning keyboard shortcuts, there are multiple ways to optimize your Mac for an awesome gaming experience. If you have started using a Mac recently, one shortcut you must know is how to go full screen and exit full screen. It will come in handy when you’re multitasking during office hours and wish to reply to emails while enjoying your game. You can learn such shortcuts on https://setapp.com/.
So, are you ready to optimize your Mac for gaming? Let’s take a look.
Disable the notification center
The notification center is one of the native features of macOS and is hardly used daily, but it takes up a lot of RAM and processing power. Therefore, your gaming experience might be hindered.
You can get a small boost by disabling the notification center. All you need to do is hold down the Option key and click the icon at the far top right > click the icon to open the notification center > Turn on Do Not Disturb > click off the notification center.
Free hard drive space
As a general rule, the startup disk space on your Mac must never drop below 15%. If it is below the threshold, your system will lag and slow down. For an optimal gaming experience, you must have enough space on your hard drive.
You can clear your hard drive by deleting junk data and unnecessary applications. Ensure to clear the Trash folder because the files or programs deleted on Mac get stored in Trash for 30 days.
You can even move large files to external storage if you don’t use those files regularly.
Learn how to use the Activity Monitor expertly
For the best gaming experience on your Mac, you must know your system. Nowadays, gaming is more CPU-bound, and it might be helpful to monitor and take control. So, you must learn how to make the most of the Activity Monitor on your Mac.
Activity Monitor offers access to your system’s memory, CPU, network usage and energy disk. Memory usage and CPU are fundamentally crucial for gaming.
To access Activity Monitor, navigate to the Go menu in the Finder and select Utilities. Utilities can even be opened with the shortcut combination of Command + Shift + U. Then, click Activity Monitor as the utility program list appears.
Activity Monitor can be opened via Spotlight as well. Click the magnifying glass found in the upper right-hand corner of the Finder > on the Spotlight search, type Activity Monitor. As it launches, you can see the present state of your system.
The next step is to examine CPU usage. The Activity Monitor breaks down CPU usage by percentage and when you’re trying to improve the performance of your system, close the apps and programs that are hogging the most resources. If you find any app or process running that are unnecessary, click the small x to close them.
Then, examine the memory usage of your system. The tab next to the CPU is memory usage, and it looks identical to the CPU usage tab. This is because memory uses megabytes, and once you have identified the programs that are draining a lot of memory, you can close them.
Adjust macOS graphics and in-game graphics settings
Most Macs have two types of graphics systems installed - one for better battery life and the other for better performance. You can instruct your system to prioritize the graphics system that performs better, which is the GPU. Click System Preferences > Energy Saver and switch off Automatic Graphics Switching. The performance of your system will improve, but the battery will drain faster.
Do you have an external monitor? If so, you can set it as your primary display. Go to System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement.
After optimizing the graphics settings in your macOS, move on to optimizing the in-game graphics settings. These settings are different for every game you play. However, here are a few general tips -
- Change the screen resolution settings in the game. You would want the game to run fast without sacrificing the frame rate or graphics too much. Also, test the differences between running games in windowed and full-screen modes.
- Toggle between high, medium and low graphics, depending on your system settings.
- If you still have a bad gaming experience, you can select the game icon in Finder, press Command + I and choose Open in Low Resolution. Your speed will improve, but at the cost of graphics.
Armed with these tricks and tips, you should be able to improve your Mac gaming experience. So, go ahead and download your favorite games.
