MacBook Neo gaming test results with Apple A18 Pro chip

Tech blogger Andrew Tsai decided to test how well the new MacBook Neo handles gaming. He ran different types of projects on the laptop: native macOS games, Windows games, and Nintendo Switch titles through emulators.

After Apple announced the laptop, many doubted whether its specifications would be sufficient for demanding tasks. The device features an Apple A18 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 8GB of unified memory. Early reviews indicated the model handles work tasks better than expected, but its gaming potential remained in question.

For his testing, the blogger tried 10 games: Cyberpunk 2077, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Control, Resident Evil Requiem, Resident Evil 2 (remake), Counter-Strike 2, Elden Ring, Dark Souls Remastered, and Mewgenics.

Overall, the laptop performed decently, though the main limitation was its 8GB of RAM. Native macOS games ran noticeably more stable than Windows projects. For instance, Cyberpunk 2077 only launched at minimum settings and 720p resolution, while Minecraft could deliver between 50 and 300 FPS at 1080p depending on graphics settings.

With emulated games, results varied. Counter-Strike 2 was nearly unplayable, whereas Mewgenics ran almost flawlessly thanks to its simple 2D OpenGL engine. According to Tsai, the findings suggest Macs are gradually becoming more suitable for gaming, though they still have a long way to go before becoming a full-fledged gaming platform.