Mac compatibility
Can you play NBA 2K26 on a Mac?
Short answer: Probably not — NBA 2K26 uses Easy Anti-Cheat, which needs a Windows kernel driver that no Wine-based tool can load. Untested, but the anti-cheat decides this one.
What we know
Steam lists NBA 2K26 for Windows only. Its minimum and recommended requirements both call for DirectX 12. Grapple runs DirectX 12 through D3DMetal — but the anti-cheat decides this one, not the graphics layer.
Steam's store page discloses that it uses a kernel level anti-cheat, Easy Anti-Cheat. It also lists Denuvo Anti-tamper (5 machine activations per 24 hours) and requires a 2K Sports Account.
Grapple settings
Nothing verified yet. Where to start, based on its DirectX version (in the app, the same options are in the game's settings):
- DirectX 12 runs through D3DMetal, which comes with Grapple — a new install already uses it, and nothing needs downloading. See the Game Porting Toolkit guide.
- To see frame rates, turn on the Metal HUD:
grapple set Steam hud on
Heads-up: this game uses Easy Anti-Cheat. Anti-cheat support can differ between Linux and macOS, so treat online play as unverified until someone has run it.
Test record
None yet.
Played it on Grapple?
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FAQ
Can I play NBA 2K26 on a Mac?
Won't run, but nobody has tested it with Grapple yet. That's what the game's published facts suggest, not a result. The page changes to Works once players report it working.
Which DirectX does NBA 2K26 use?
NBA 2K26's requirements list DirectX 12. Grapple starts it on D3DMetal, Apple's DirectX 11 and 12 translator, which Grapple includes and uses by default.
Is there a Mac version of NBA 2K26?
Steam doesn't offer a macOS build of NBA 2K26; it's listed for Windows only.
Sources
Every factual claim on this page comes from these. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
- Steam store page — system requirements, supported platforms and DRM/anti-cheat notices (checked 28 September 2026)
- Wikipedia — Kernel-level anti-cheat (checked 21 September 2026)
Try NBA 2K26 yourself
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever, so you can find out on your own Mac without paying. Then tell us how it went with the buttons above, so the next player knows.
NBA 2K26 is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to identify the game. Grapple isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Visual Concepts.