Mac compatibility
Can you play PAYDAY 3 on a Mac?
Short answer: Likely to work, but not tested yet — PAYDAY 3 lists DirectX 11, which Grapple's DXMT layer translates to Metal. Try it on the Free plan and tell us how it went.
What we know
Steam lists PAYDAY 3 for Windows only. Its minimum requirements call for DirectX 11, with DirectX 12 in the recommended specs.
Grapple translates DirectX 10 and 11 to Metal — through Apple's D3DMetal or the open-source DXMT — so on paper this is a reasonable candidate. That's an expectation, not a result — we haven't tested it yet.
Steam's store page discloses no third-party anti-cheat for PAYDAY 3, and AreWeAntiCheatYet has no entry for it. It does need a third-party account: Starbreeze Nebula (Supports Linking to Steam Account), and the game is online-only.
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 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 Steam graphics dxmt - 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
Test record
None yet.
Played it on Grapple?
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FAQ
Can I play PAYDAY 3 on a Mac?
Likely to work — not tested yet, 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.
What might stop PAYDAY 3 from working?
It also lists DirectX 12, which Grapple runs through D3DMetal. If the DirectX 12 renderer misbehaves, pick the DirectX 11 one in the game's settings.
Which DirectX does PAYDAY 3 use?
PAYDAY 3's requirements list DirectX 11 and 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 PAYDAY 3?
Steam doesn't offer a macOS build of PAYDAY 3; 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 Spotted something out of date?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, platforms and anti-cheat disclosure (checked 23 September 2026)
Try PAYDAY 3 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.
PAYDAY 3 is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to identify the game. Grapple isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Starbreeze Studios.