Play 32 bit Games On Mac & Revive Old Days Again

With the introduction of the spectacular MacBook, there’s a craze of utilising its features to the best whether it’s in relevance to editing, writing, gaming, etc. In today’s date, Mac is mostly used for editing high-quality animated videos or for playing fun & interesting games but not all games now can be played or run on the Mac. One such category is 32-bit games which were quite popular some time back but now are rarely played by people. It’s because Mac has stopped supporting 32-bit games since 2019 & now only allows 64-bit games to run on Mac.

This news was heartbreaking for many Mac users who loved to play 32 bit games on Mac & we found out that many people still hunt out for ways on how they can play 32 bit Mac games once again. Well, to make things much easier for our users and make them smile again we have come up with a beneficial layer of information following which anyone can play them again. So without any further ado, let’s brief you about how to enjoy these games in 2023.

Use These 3 Apps To Play 32 bit Games On Mac

Method 1: Build Virtual Machine Via Parallel Desktop

Installing a Windows Virtual Machine is one of the easiest techniques one can implement to play 32 bit games on a Mac. Once the installation gets completed, you are permitted to run a Windows OS copy on Mac. Parallels Desktop and VMware are the two authentic providers who offer installation of Windows Virtual Machine for MacBook. Out of the two “Parallel Desktop” is more productive & offers varied benefits to the users. In clear terms, Parallel Desktop builds a Windows Virtual Machine within the internal components of Mac OS. As said above, after a virtual machine gets installed inside the Mac you can now simply install or run Windows or any other OS on your Mac. The mere advantage of choosing Parallels Desktop is that it’s consistent with all Windows programs and runs them without any technical glitches.

Method 2: Select Wine: CrossOver Commercial Version

Built by CodeWeavers, CrossOver app permits users to run 32-bit games on Mac without switching or transforming them to 64-bit games. All the Windows apps & games are interpreted into Mac commands using Wine which permits Windows apps to function on all non-Windows OS. Being a congenial layer, it doesn’t support all Windows apps but can be tried once if your 32-bit app or game is not supported by Mac. You can check the compatibility of your app through the Wine Database. This database contains the list of all the apps supported by Mac and if the name of your app is not displayed in the list then most likely it’ll not be supported by Mac.

Method 3: Opt For Free BootCamp App

BootCamp is free and provides straightforward installation to the users. You need not burn an extra hole in your pocket which happens while purchasing Parallel Desktop or CrossOver. There’s no doubt that both apps are more popular in comparison to BootCamp but free service is the foremost reason to use this app. As BootCamp is already installed on Mac, it develops a partition on your hard drive & installs Windows over the same partition. Although there’s one uncertainty, you won’t be able to switch between or run Windows and MacOS altogether while your device is switched on. You need to shut down Mac and turn it on again to avail these functions on Mac. Only Intel-based devices support BootCamp so make sure you have one.

Also Read: How To Use ChatGPT On Mac: Step-By-Step Guide To Use AI Assistant

Difference Between Parallel Desktop & CrossOver

Based on the above context, we have concluded both of the apps have their own set of pros & cons associated with them. It’s your take whichever you want to choose. Before selecting any app, kindly visit Apple Gaming Wiki and check which games are compatible on Mac with Parallel Desktop, CrossOver, and BootCamp.

Use Parallel Desktop For Running 32-Bit Games On Mac

In addition to knowing how to play 32 bit games on Mac, you also need to learn how to run 32 bit games on Mac as these guidelines will smoothen your gaming experience on Mac for a longer period making it a memorable experience.

• Step 1: At first, download the free version of Parallel Desktop and install this application on Mac
• Step 2: To proceed further, you need to register as Windows Insider
• Step 3: Now, download Windows 10 Insider Preview (10 GBs)
• Step 4: Move ahead and open the Parallel Desktop application on Mac
• Step 5: Choose to Install Windows from DVD or Image File & then choose Windows Insider Preview File
• Step 6: Opt for ‘Choose Games Only’ from the “Use Windows for….” option & then navigate through the customization settings on Mac
• Step 7: Install ‘Windows 10’ by tapping on the ‘Continue’ option. This process might take a few minutes.
• Step 8: Login into your Parallels Account using your valid credentials for accessing the Windows virtual machine
• Step 9: Cross-check for Windows Updates (if any) and start using Windows
• Step 10: Download and install Steam’s Windows version
• Step 11: Next, download and install the 32-bit game, launch it on Mac and now you can anytime play 32-bit games on Mac

Download CrossOver Trial & Run 32-bit Games On Mac

In comparison to Parallels Desktop, CrossOver has a more fair benefit as it comes with a simple interface, quick customer support assistance, doesn’t ask for a Windows license, and is extremely affordable to purchase. You can play 32 bit games on Mac by downloading and installing CrossOver Trial on your Mac by following the steps mentioned below.

• Step 1: Start with downloading CrossOver and then move it to the applicants folder
• Step 2: You now need to launch the CrossOver app & start the free trial
• Step 3: Tap on the Install a Windows Application
• Step 4: Look for Steam and then download & install it ( Comes along with dependencies)
• Step 5: Now open the CrossOver to perform the installation of DirectX for Modern Games
• Step 6: Search for Steam, open it, and then download a 32-bit game on Mac
• Step 7: Launch it and play a test game once to check if it’s functioning well or not
• Step 8 (Optional): You can activate the DXVK backend for D3D11 over the Steam CrossOver bottle

What Stops Mac From Supporting 32-bit Games?

Apple manufacturers were switching to a 64-bit version after 2018 and that’s the reason it stopped all the 32-bit games on Mac. Apart from games, all the 32-bit apps were also stopped from functioning on Mac. Though apps like CrossOver, Parallel Desktop, Wine, and Boot are there, sometimes Mac don’t support 32-bit games. The reasons for the same are listed below:

• Running 32-bit games on 64-bit Mac which is not compatible with the old gaming version
• Lack of relevant hardware necessary for supporting 32-bit games on Mac
• Hardware is not upgraded to support 32-bit games on Mac

Also Read: How To Hide Games From Friends: Privacy Matters! Steam

Final Words

By now you must have clearly understood the right pathway to play 32 bit games on Mac. This article is a complete guide for all those individuals who were constantly struggling to play their favourite 32-bit games on MacBook. However, make sure that you use the latest M1 MacBook as all the apps listed in this article perform well on newer Mac models as compared to the older Intel MacBook. In case you have been facing any other problems with your MacBook then click here & get effective solutions curated by our team members.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) Do 32-bit Intel apps support Rosetta 2?

Ans: Currently, Rosetta 2 doesn’t support 32-bit Intel apps. It’s a unique resource that allows Apple PC to run programs that were specifically built for Intel processors, even if the Mac computers opts for an alternative processor architecture.

Q) On which day Apple stopped supporting 32-bit apps on Mac?

Ans: Apple stopped supporting 32-bit apps in 2018 which disappointed many of its users. The situation back then was quite chaotic as many people used 32-bit apps on Mac and due to this, they couldn’t access their applications on the Mac after the halt.