It took nearly five years, but it’s finally happened: Steam now runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs, via the latest beta client. No more Rosetta 2 translation layer, no more sluggish UI, and no more watching your M2 Max machine struggle with something as basic as launching a storefront.
If you’ve ever gamed on a Mac—or even just browsed Steam on one—you’ll immediately notice the difference. And yes, Sahil once claimed he was trapped in Apple’s ecosystem—but this time, he’s not complaining
What’s Actually Changed
Until now, the Steam client on macOS was running via Rosetta 2, Apple’s clever but temporary solution for translating Intel binaries to run on ARM-based chips. While Rosetta worked reasonably well, you were always losing some performance, especially with UI-heavy apps like Steam, which is built on Chromium.
With the new beta, Steam’s frontend and background helper processes are compiled natively for ARM. You’ll see them marked as “Apple” instead of “Intel” in Activity Monitor. This isn’t just cosmetic—it directly affects how responsive and efficient the client feels.
- Launch times are noticeably faster
- Scrolling through your library is smoother
- Pages in the store and settings now load with less lag
This won’t change how well your games run unless they’re also ARM-native, but as far as client experience goes, this is the smoothest Steam has ever felt on macOS.
How to Enable the Native Client
Here’s how to try it yourself:
- Open Steam on your Mac
- Go to Steam > Settings > Interface
- Under Client Beta Participation, select Steam Beta Update
- Restart Steam
- Open Activity Monitor and check the “Kind” column—Steam should now show up as “Apple”
The beta client update is a quick 230MB download. For a company that’s been dragging its feet on Mac support, Valve seems surprisingly efficient when motivated.
Real-World Experience So Far
Early impressions from users (and us at iLLGaming) have been mostly positive. The client is faster to boot and more responsive, especially on newer chips like the M2 Pro or M3. That said, it’s still in beta, and the rough edges are visible in places:
- Some users report UI elements still feel “a bit laggy”
- The Library and Store tabs occasionally stutter on first load
- Game performance isn’t affected unless the game itself is ARM-native
This is strictly a client-side improvement—for now, games that haven’t been ported to ARM will still run via Rosetta.
The Bigger Picture for Mac Gaming
If you’ve followed iLLGaming’s past Apple coverage, you’ll know we’ve always maintained this: macOS has had the hardware for gaming ever since Apple Silicon arrived. What it lacked was a developer ecosystem and consistent support from major publishers.
That’s beginning to shift. Between the Game Porting Toolkit, Apple’s partnerships with studios like Kojima Productions, and now Steam going native, the narrative is slowly changing.
No, the Mac isn’t about to replace your custom-built RTX rig. But for millions of users with M1 and M2 machines who game casually or dabble in indie titles, this update means fewer compromises.
And let’s not forget, Apple’s already been quietly playing the long game in gaming with platforms like Apple Arcade, which we covered in depth last year. Steam’s native support just adds another piece to the puzzle.
A Glimmer of Positivity for Apple—And a Big Opportunity
It’s also worth noting that this Steam update arrives at a time when Apple’s recent news cycle hasn’t exactly been glowing. From lukewarm reactions to Apple Intelligence to criticism over the lack of truly bold innovation across product lines, the company’s reputation for being ahead of the curve has taken a few dents lately.
Yet moves like this remind us of why Apple remains formidable. They polish the edges no one else thinks to.
A native Steam client may seem minor, but a great gaming experience on macOS could be the wedge that pushes Apple into new territory. There’s already a massive group of Windows users who only stick to Windows for one reason: gaming. If Apple gets this right, they’ll begin to chip away at that user base, especially since macOS is more efficient, better optimized, and arguably a more refined computing experience overall.
And if you’ve read our iPhone 16 Plus review, you’ll know we’ve long argued that Apple’s strength often lies in quiet, incremental refinement rather than brute-force spec races.
Should You Try the Beta?
- Try it now if you use Steam regularly on your Mac—it’s stable enough, and the improved responsiveness is worth it
- Wait for the stable release if you’re risk-averse or still rely on older games that may behave unpredictably in beta
Keep Rosetta 2 installed regardless—many games still need it unless explicitly ported to ARM.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t a headline-grabbing update, but it’s a significant one. Steam finally feels like it belongs on Apple Silicon, rather than barely holding on through an aging compatibility layer. And while it won’t change the Mac’s position in the gaming hierarchy overnight, it removes one more friction point for gamers who’ve chosen the Apple ecosystem.
Apple still has a long way to go in winning over the core gaming crowd. But this is progress. Quiet, overdue, and important progress. Maybe the same kind of progress that once made “Apple Invites” a surprisingly good idea, or that subtle click of satisfaction you feel when everything in the ecosystem just works.
And if Steam’s native debut is any sign, things are finally beginning to click for Mac gaming.
