Mac compatibility
Can you play Baldur's Gate 3 on a Mac?
Short answer: Play the Mac version — Larian's macOS build comes with the same Steam purchase. Only use Grapple if you specifically need the Windows build.
What we know
Steam lists Baldur's Gate 3 for Windows and macOS, and the Mac build is part of the same purchase. Its Mac requirements are macOS 14.7.1 or newer with an Apple M1 or better, so Intel Macs are out.
The native build is the straightforward answer on an Apple Silicon Mac. Grapple is only worth it if you specifically need the Windows version — a Windows-only mod setup, say, or an install you share with a Windows PC.
The Windows minimum requirements list DirectX 11, which is what Grapple's DXMT layer translates to Metal. We haven't run the Windows version through Grapple, so anything about it here is an expectation, not a result.
Grapple settings
Nothing verified for this game yet — but here's where to start, based on its DirectX version. If you get somewhere, tell us and we'll put the real settings here. You can change the same options in the app; from the command line, replace <bottle> with the name of the Windows environment the game runs in — bottle is the CLI's technical term for it.
- DirectX 10/11: a new install is set to Automatic, which picks D3DMetal or DXMT for you. If the game won't start or renders wrongly, naming a layer is the usual next try:
grapple set <bottle> graphics dxmt - To see frame rates, turn on the Metal HUD:
grapple set <bottle> hud on
Test record
Empty until someone runs it. A record here lists the Mac, macOS and Grapple versions, the engine and graphics layer, the settings and every check — yours can fill it, or ours will.
FAQ
Can I play Baldur's Gate 3 on a Mac?
Larian ships a native macOS build, included with the same Steam purchase. It needs macOS 14.7.1 or newer and an Apple Silicon Mac — Intel Macs aren't supported. Likely to work — not tested yet. DirectX 11 games are squarely what Grapple translates to Metal — through Apple's D3DMetal, which comes with the app, or the open-source DXMT. That's what the game's published facts suggest, not a result. We publish a verified status only after running the game on a real Mac.
What might stop Baldur's Gate 3 from working?
There's a native Mac version too — this expectation is about the Windows version run through Grapple.
Is there a Mac version of Baldur's Gate 3?
Larian ships a native macOS build, included with the same Steam purchase. It needs macOS 14.7.1 or newer and an Apple Silicon Mac — Intel Macs aren't supported.
How can I try Baldur's Gate 3 myself?
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — enough to settle this one. Add Steam in one click (launchers and Windows tools never count as your game), install the game and launch it: that first launch is what claims it, and you can swap it for a different game once every 30 days. If it won't start, try the other graphics layer in the game's settings. Then send us the result — the game and where you bought it, your Mac model and macOS version, the engine and graphics layer it ran on (grapple info <bottle>), your in-game settings, the frame rate from the Metal HUD, and screenshots of any error or a diagnostics report (grapple report <bottle>) — and we'll publish it here once it's a real test run.
Sources
Every factual claim on this page comes from these. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
- Steam store page — system requirements and supported platforms (checked 23 September 2026)
- Larian Studios support — macOS information (checked 23 September 2026)
Try Baldur's Gate 3 yourself — and tell us
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — exactly enough to settle Baldur's Gate 3. It's claimed the first time you play it, launchers and Windows tools don't count towards it, and you can swap it for another game once every 30 days. Install it, play for a bit, and send us what you saw. Every result — working or broken — decides what we test next, and verified results get published here with credit if you want it.
What to send
- The game and where you bought it (Steam, GOG, Epic…)
- Your Mac model, chip and macOS version
- The engine and graphics layer the game ran on —
grapple info <bottle> - The resolution and graphics preset you played at
- Frame rate from the Metal HUD, and the scene you measured it in —
grapple set <bottle> hud on - Screenshots of any error, plus a diagnostics report —
grapple report <bottle>
In those commands, <bottle> is the CLI's term for the Windows environment the game runs in — type its name instead. How to create a diagnostics report — it collects the game's settings, versions and logs into one zip, with your username removed.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to identify the game. Grapple isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Larian Studios.