How to Run SteamOS on Your Mac

I will be the first to admit that my collection is mostly old indie games, all of which work fine on Windows. Less so on the Mac. Apple stopped supporting 32-bit games back in 2019 when it released macOS Catalina. A good chunk of my Steam library has a "No" symbol next to it because of that restriction. And next year it will get even worse: macOS will drop support for running Intel Mac applications, which could leave even more games unplayable (though Apple claims that certain older games will keep working).

The Details

But there's another way. A free, open source app called FX Steam Launcher boots the ARM version of SteamOS—the operating system that powers Valve's Steam Deck gaming handheld—right on your Mac, using a combination of a virtual machine and compatibility layers. You will need a Mac with an Apple Silicon processor, as Intel Macs aren't supported, running macOS 15 or later. I set this up recently, connected a controller, and I've been playing all kinds of games that are otherwise unplayable on my MacBook Air.

It wasn't even hard to set up. To get started, download the application, mount the DMG file, and drag the app to your Applications folder. The first time you launch the application, a pop-up will offer to download and install SteamOS for you in a virtual machine.

Create New Disk, and you'll be asked a few questions. The most important step is the hard drive size—the default is 64 GB, which is plenty, but consider allocating more space if you plan on installing multiple large games. You can also choose the drive location, if you like, and set a password for opening SteamOS.

Create, and the application will download SteamOS and install it in a virtual machine. I recommend using this time to pair a game controller with your Mac in System Settings under Bluetooth. FX Steam Launcher works with most current gamepads, including Xbox, DualSense, DualShock, and Made for iPhone. I used a Nintendo Pro Controller.

Eventually, you will see the login screen, where you can enter your Steam credentials. Once you're in, you'll see your Steam library. The virtual machine operates like an actual Steam Deck, which takes some getting used to if you've never used one. It divides your library into games known to work in SteamOS and those that might work, which is helpful. A lot of my games started running immediately, with full gamepad support.

Courtesy of Justin Pot

This isn't a drop-in solution for every game. SteamOS itself is quite fiddly, and you're now running it in a virtual machine. In some cases, I needed to tweak the graphics settings for games to run correctly. For Psychonauts, specifically, I had to download a user-made patch to get the controller working properly—but I'd have needed that fix for an actual Steam Deck too. When a game ran poorly, I frequently found the solution by Googling and finding actual Steam Deck owners who ran into similar problems.

There is a limit to the processing power you get out of a Mac, especially if you (like me) are using a MacBook Air. And a virtual machine, by definition, doesn't have access to all of your machine's capabilities. But the list of compatible games, compiled from other users, shows which devices have successfully played various titles. Check that page for your favorite games before you dive in.

If nothing else, this is a lot easier than my previous method for running Windows games on a Mac, which involved setting up a version of Wine that's no longer supported. I even got a few non-Steam games installed. Sideloading on SteamOS means booting into Desktop Mode, which you can find in the SteamOS sidebar under Power. You'll end up in a Linux-based desktop, complete with a web browser. You can download games, put them in the folder of your choice, and point Steam to them. I couldn't add custom art, but I got multiple games up and running this way.

Courtesy of Justin Pot

Honestly, Valve should update the official Steam Mac client with similar compatibility tech so it can run Windows games natively. It would be a huge hit with Mac users.

If you're a power user, I recommend checking out the settings for FX Steam Launcher, which you can open from the menu bar or with the keyboard shortcut Command-comma. You can change the resolution for your virtual Steam Deck, configure the sound to your liking, and submit game statistics.

It's remarkable software. And, with an HDMI cable and a gamepad, you can plug your MacBook into your TV and game from your couch. That's what I plan on doing when I'm done writing this article (which I guess is right now).