Danny Weber
10:56 30-10-2025
© A. Krivonosov
Apple confirms macOS 27 as the last release for Intel Macs, while Rosetta enters a limited, two-version phase-out as macOS targets Apple Silicon exclusively.
Apple has officially confirmed that macOS 27 will be the final release to support Intel-based Macs. At the same time, the company will start phasing out Rosetta, the layer that lets software written for Intel processors run on Macs built with Apple Silicon chips. It’s a clear sign the transition is entering its final stretch.
The upcoming macOS Tahoe will be the last build tailored for Intel machines. After that, Rosetta will remain in the system for two more versions and then be removed entirely. Acting as a translation layer between architectures, Rosetta proved crucial during the shift to Apple Silicon, keeping legacy apps usable while developers adapted.
In macOS 27, Rosetta will only work in a limited way—primarily to keep a handful of older games running if they haven’t been updated for ARM64. Apple notes that Rosetta can still translate most Intel applications, including those that rely on JIT compilers, but it does not support kernel extensions or virtual machines emulating x86_64. AVX512 instructions are not supported either. The boundaries are getting tighter, and that feels intentional.
For users, the takeaway is straightforward: the Intel Mac era is drawing to a close. Future versions of macOS will target Apple Silicon exclusively, and Rosetta will soon be remembered as a tool of the transition, not a feature to depend on.