If you want to play Starfield on a Mac, we found that by far the easiest way to play it is by using Xbox Cloud.
Xbox Cloud allows you to play the Xbox version of Starfield in any browser on both Intel Macs and the latest Apple Silicon Macs with the M1, M2 or M3 chip.
It even allows you to use an Xbox controller so that it feels just like playing it on an Xbox console.
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Is Starfield Available For Mac?
There is no Mac download version of Starfield available. Starfield was released on 6th September 2023 but only for PC, Xbox Series X/S and on Xbox Cloud.
The developer Bethesda has no plans to release a Mac compatible version of Starfield or on any other platform – not even for Playstation.
Instructions To Play Starfield On a Mac
The good news for Mac users is that you can play Starfield in Xbox Cloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is only one of the ways to play Xbox games on a Mac but it’s by far the easiest and best solution to play games like Starfield.
It even allows you to connect an Xbox controller to your Mac via Bluetooth in order to play games.
Here’s exactly how to start playing Starfield on a Mac with it now.
- Sign-up for an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account. It’s important you select the Ultimate pass because it’s the only one that gives you access to Xbox Cloud gaming
- Once you’ve logged-into your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate account, search for “Starfield”. You’ll see the option in the green button to “Play With Cloud Gaming” below.
- Click on it and then you’ll be taken to the game page where you can launch Starfield in your browser on your Mac by clicking “Play”.
- You’ll then be prompted to connect an Xbox controller which you can do by simply turning-on the Bluetooth on your Mac and then holding down the Bluetooth discovery button on the back of your Xbox controller and the two will connect. You can also use keyboard controls but most games are much better played with a controller. You can read more about how to connect an Xbox controller to a Mac here.
- When you click “Play” Starfield will launch in your browser and you’ll be able to play it just as if you were playing Starfield on an Xbox.
- The game should launch after a few seconds and you’ll then be able to use your Xbox controller to play Starfield by pressing any button on your Xbox controller as shown below.
The only limitation of Xbox Cloud gaming is that Game Pass games are limited to 30 frames per second (30fps) so the graphic quality isn’t as good as playing it on PC but is still playable as you can see below.
Demand to play Starfield via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be incredibly high on the day of release you may find that there’s a huge queue to use Microsoft’s Cloud servers or that gameplay is degraded by the demand for the game.
When we tried it however, we only had to wait a few seconds for Starfield to launch and the gameplay was impressively smooth. It does however require a lot of resources on your Mac and you may notice your Mac gets warmer with the fans whirring on MacBooks.
Is Starfield Available On GeForce Now?
Starfield is also available on NVIDIA’s GeForce Now gaming platform.
However, you’ll still need to own the game on either Steam or on Xbox and then link them to GeForce Now.
One advantage of GeForce Now over Xbox Cloud gaming is that it allows you to play Starfield at a higher frame rate.
The Xbox Cloud version is locked at 30fps for consistency of performance across PC and Xbox.
It also allows you to use a mouse and keyboard whereas Xbox Cloud requires an Xbox controller.
The disadvantage however is that you’ll need both to purchase the game on Steam ($69.99) or Xbox ($69.99) and also pay for a GeForce Now subscription which starts at $9.99 per month.
Xbox Cloud includes the game in a subscription for a flat fee of $16.99 per month.
If you choose to use both Xbox Cloud and GeForce Now to play Starfield, the clever thing is that it syncs your game saves between the two platforms though.
What Is Starfield?
Starfield is an RPG game set in space or ‘The Settled Systems’ as it’s called in-game which is around 50 light years away from our Solar System.
The game takes place in 2330 after a Colony War has left planets in ruin and you’re left to navigate and explore what remains.
It also has over 1000 planets and 100 solar systems to explore meaning it’s probably the biggest game ever set in space.
Other features of the game include flying space ships, crafting, base building and of course combat.
Starfield became the biggest selling Bethesda game of all time after its release on 6th September 2023.
Bethesda are the team behind the Elder Scrolls and Fallout (which also were not released on Mac) and claims that Starfield has been “25 years in the making”.