Spoiler: Windows wins. The Mac isn’t built to play games, and the response is that people who play games casually will pick something up on the computer, while serious gamers will float towards consoles. While I’d strongly argue that this is a big “negative” and that console gaming is simply more accessible, the problem here is with OpenGL and how OS X accesses hardware via “half-baked” driver bottlenecks. Also, Mac player’s consistently have trouble AWP’ing n00bs with their Magic Mouses.
Tom’s Hardware concludes that the Steam games currently available are OpenGL ports from otherwise DirectX platforms. Windows excels at tying high-end PCIe hardware through robust drivers, while the Mac suffers from intermediate level hardware that implements OpenGL, and implements drivers that are half Apple, half community created. The result is a sub-par performance and hot MacBooks, but for the most part, frame rates remain high enough as to not detract from the overall experience.
Some industry experts, like John Carmack, swear by OpenGL. However, it’s clear that Microsoft has put a tremendous effort into pulling the software development community onboard with DirectX, and an increasing number of titles are employing the API. OpenGL on the Mac, on the other hand, is better-suited to productivity than gaming performance. On a related note, Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, which is available natively for both OS X and Windows, runs far better in Windows than it does in OS X. At 2560x1600 with max settings, WoW can reach upwards of 150 to 200 FPS on the above hackintosh configuration, while it maxes out at 35% to 50% below the Windows scores, suggesting the aforementioned factors are taking a toll.
If you ever wanted to be a pro gamer on a Mac, you might want to look away. While some would say high end gaming is a niche market, Apple neither has the hardware (fine tuned keyboards, monitors, or gaming mice) or software to support such a venture. While it’s fantastic that I can casually get online and socially interact with the Steam community, those looking to push the envelope of competitive play might want to focus on the Windows counterpart, where hardware manufactures and game developers are all on the same page. Since Apple is focusing on the iPod touch right now as a gaming platform, I’m hoping they’ll see Steam as motivator to either improve OpenGL’s performance in OS X, or develop a better performing API.
Make sure to check out Tom’s Hardware for the stats, rig setups, and everything else a geek would want to feast their eyes upon.
