How to Run Steam on Mac With Windows Games

Steam is a popular PC gaming platform, and while it runs on Mac, many of its titles are Windows-only. To play those games, there's a solution: you can install Windows with Parallels Desktop, run the Windows version of Steam inside the virtual machine, and play without rebooting your Mac or switching devices.

Steam is one of the most popular PC gaming platforms on the market, with more than 132 million monthly active users. While Steam is designed for PC, yes, it also runs on Mac, and you can install the macOS version for any games in your library that support it.

However, the real question most people have is how to play Windows-only games in their Steam library on macOS, which is still common across Steam's PC catalog (only 15% of Steam's library has macOS support).

The good news is: If you want to run Steam on Mac, there are two paths users can take: using the native Mac Steam for supported games, or using a virtualization tool like Parallels Desktop for everything else.

Steam has a native Mac app, but only so much of its library is compatible with macOS. To play Windows-only Steam games on your Mac, you can run Windows through Parallels Desktop, install Steam inside the Windows VM, and access your full library with near-native performance on Apple Silicon Macs.

How to install Steam on Mac

Installing Steam on macOS only takes a few minutes.

If you want to download Steam on Mac, start with Valve's official Steam download page:

1. Go to store.steampowered.com/about and select Install Steam.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
3. Drag Steam into your Applications folder, then open it.
4. Sign in to your Steam account and browse your library.

This gives you access to the Steam Mac app and the Mac-compatible games in your Steam library. For Windows-only titles, the Mac app alone is not enough if you want to play Steam games on Mac from the Windows side of your library. You'll need to run the Windows version of Steam on your Mac using a solution like Parallels Desktop.

The problem: Most Steam games are Windows-only

Steam is a digital game store, launcher, and library from Valve. You use it to buy, download, update, and launch games, as well as manage saves, achievements, friends, and multiplayer features.

While Steam has a Mac app, its Mac-compatible catalog is much smaller than its Windows game library. As of 2026, Steam's store search shows about 26,000 Mac-compatible games out of roughly 151,000 total games, or about 17% of the catalog.

That gap matters when the game you want is one of the big Windows-first titles. Popular games like Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft (Java Edition), Terraria, Skyrim Special Edition, and Fallout 4 list Windows system requirements on Steam, with no native macOS versions available from the Steam store.

So, while installing Steam on Mac is easy, that only solves part of the problem. To play Windows-only Steam games on a Mac, you need a way to run Windows on macOS, which is where Parallels Desktop becomes useful.

How to play Windows Steam games on Mac

There are three main ways to run Windows Steam games on Mac: run Windows locally with Parallels Desktop, experiment with Apple's Game Porting Toolkit, or use Boot Camp if you still have an Intel-based Mac.

The best choice depends on your Mac model, how much setup you want to do, and whether you need a game-by-game workaround or a full Windows environment.

Option 1: Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop lets you run Windows in a virtual machine on your Mac, so you can install the Windows version of Steam and play many Windows-only games without rebooting. Windows runs alongside macOS, which means you can also keep Discord, Safari, Messages, or your walkthrough open on the Mac side while your game runs in Windows.

Here's the basic setup:

1. Download and install Parallels Desktop on your Mac.
2. Create a new Windows 11 virtual machine using the Parallels setup assistant.
3. Open Windows, go to store.steampowered.com/about, and install the Windows version of Steam.
4. Sign in to Steam inside Windows and download the Windows-only game you want to play.
5. Before launching, choose the "Games only" profile in your VM settings and keep Parallels Tools updated for graphics and input support.

On Apple silicon Macs, Parallels uses the Mac's hardware virtualization capabilities and graphics support to make Windows games feel more responsive than a remote desktop or cloud session. Parallels also offers automatic hardware configuration, along with support for controllers and common gaming peripherals 

Keep in mind, performance is game-by-game: titles that require DirectX 12, unsupported anti-cheat systems, or components that do not work on Windows on ARM may not run.

Option 2: Apple's Game Porting Toolkit

Apple's Game Porting Toolkit is another way to play Windows games on Mac, but it is primarily designed for developers bringing games to Apple platforms. Apple describes it as a toolset for evaluating how existing Windows games run on Mac and for converting graphics work for Apple silicon and Metal.

Some Mac gamers use community tools like Whisky or CrossOver to run games through a translation layer, but compatibility is much more game-specific. One title may run well, another may need manual fixes, and another may not launch at all.

Option 3: Boot Camp (Intel Macs only)

Boot Camp is worth mentioning for completeness, but it is much less useful today than it was in the past. Apple's Boot Camp Assistant supports installing Windows on Intel-based Macs, and users must restart their Mac to switch between macOS and Windows.

That makes Boot Camp a legacy option rather than the best fit for most Mac gamers today. As Apple phases out Intel Mac support, Parallels Desktop offers a more current path for users who want to keep accessing Windows games and apps on a supported Mac without rebooting.

Performance tips for Steam games in Parallels

Want to maximize your experience while playing Steam games on Mac through Parallels Desktop?

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Start with the default Parallels Desktop settings, then tune from there. Parallels can automatically optimize CPU and memory for Windows 10 or later, which is usually the safest first step before manually adjusting resources.
• For many Steam games on Mac, 8 GB of RAM is a good baseline for the Windows virtual machine. If your Mac has more memory and the game needs it, you can increase the allocation, but avoid giving Windows so much RAM that macOS slows down in the background.
• Assign multiple CPU cores to the VM, especially for newer games, but do not overdo it. Leaving enough CPU and memory for macOS helps the whole system stay responsive while Windows, Steam, and the game are running.
• Use Parallels Desktop's "Games only" profile when you want to prioritize gaming performance. This applies recommended settings for games, including graphics-focused tuning, so you do not have to guess your way through every configuration option.
• Before launching a game, close unnecessary macOS apps, browser tabs, and background tools. The more resources your Mac can give to the Windows VM, the smoother your game is likely to feel.

Finally, keep Parallels Desktop, Windows, Steam, and your game up to date. Game compatibility can improve through Parallels updates, Windows on ARM improvements, graphics fixes, and Steam patches, so staying current gives you the best chance of a smooth launch.

Play more of your Steam library on Mac with Parallels

Steam installs natively on macOS, so you can download the Mac-compatible games in your library and start playing right away. But if the title you want is Windows-only, the Mac Steam app won't be enough on its own to play Windows Steam games on Mac.

Parallels Desktop gives you the solution you want: just run Windows on your Mac, install Steam inside it, and play many Windows-only Steam games on Mac without rebooting or switching devices.

Try Parallels Desktop free for 14 days to see what it's like, and run your favorite Steam games on Mac.

FAQs

Does Steam work on Mac?

Yes. Steam has a native Mac client, but many games in the Steam library are Windows-only. For those, you'll need a solution like Parallels Desktop to run Windows on your Mac.

Can I play Windows-only Steam games on a Mac?

Yes, many Windows-only Steam games can run on a Mac with Parallels Desktop. Install Windows in a virtual machine, install the Windows version of Steam inside it, then download and launch your Windows games from there.

Is gaming performance good in Parallels Desktop?

On Apple silicon Macs, including M1 and later, performance is strong for many Windows games. It is not the same as a dedicated gaming PC, but Parallels Desktop is built for fast local Windows performance on Mac.

Do I need to buy Windows to use Steam in Parallels Desktop?

You need a valid Windows license for the Windows virtual machine. Parallels Desktop makes setup straightforward and can help you download and install Windows during setup.

What about Proton or CrossOver for Steam on Mac?

Proton is built for Linux-based gaming, including SteamOS and Steam Deck. CrossOver and Whisky use Wine-based translation, so compatibility varies by game; Parallels Desktop runs Windows in a virtual machine, which gives you a broader path for Windows Steam games on Mac.