Is Apple or PC best for gaming?
Microsoft Windows and Apple’s macOS are the two most popular operating systems, and they’re both relatively accessible to the average user. While neither is terribly difficult to use, they have dramatically different pros and cons and are most useful for very different things.
If you want a smooth user experience, enjoy working with audio, photo, or video editing software, and only casually play low-impact games, an Apple computer is a great choice. If you want to play the latest AAA titles at high resolutions and frame rates, a Windows PC is an absolute must.
Apple gaming computers
The first difference between Apple and Windows computers is that Apple allows almost no customization at the hardware level. In fact, installing macOS on a non-Apple computer is an infringement of Apple’s copyright, which means you can’t actually create your own Apple computer.
The benefit of this from Apple’s perspective is that it can optimize its operating system to work best with specific components and configurations over which Apple has full control. The result of this optimization is an operating system that makes efficient use of hardware and provides an unparalleled user experience. Tweaking your Windows PC to run smoothly can take insight and patience, but macOS is powerful and easy to use from the first start.
Unfortunately, if you want to play the latest and most advanced 3D games, Apple and its operating system don’t have much going for them. Since few Apple computers have the necessary hardware, there are very few advanced games available for the platform. On the other hand, there are many casual games available for macOS, such as adventure games and puzzle games.
Apple Gaming Computer Professionals
- Best for non-gaming uses: Apple computers are incredibly popular for photo and video editors. That’s partly because programs like Adobe Photoshop are optimized to work well on macOS, and partly because Apple’s display quality is generally unmatched in resolution and color accuracy.
- User-friendly experience: For the most part, Apple computers work flawlessly with little or no setup or tuning.
- Fun casual games: There’s a decent selection of games that work with Macs. In particular, the new M1 chipset that powers the latest series of MacBooks is relatively good for medium-impact games like The Sims 4, Stardew Valley, and Slay the Spire. There’s also a good variety of exciting and fast-paced games from just a few years ago that are confirmed to run on the new chipset. These include Rise of the Tomb Raider, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Bioshock Remastered.
Disadvantages of the Apple Gaming Computer
- High prices: Apple computers consistently cost more than Windows PCs with comparable hardware.
- Lower performance: Components in Apple computers simply aren’t powerful enough to run the latest 3D games.
- Catalog of limited premium games: Because the code it runs on is so different from Windows, macOS doesn’t support many games. A developer has to expend significant resources to make a macOS-compatible version of a game written for Windows, and few big outfits take the time to do that because Apples doesn’t have the firepower for high-end graphics.
The best Apple computers for gaming
Apple MacBook Air M1 2020
This is a good all-around laptop with high performance thanks to its revolutionary new Apple chipset. It offers excellent performance on casual games and passable performance in more intense 3D titles.
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MacBook Pro M1 2020
If you want to play the most resource-intensive games available to Mac users, consider the 2021 MacBook Pro M1 instead. Its 14-core graphics processing delivers high frame rates in a wide variety of exciting titles.
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Windows gaming computers
Windows PCs are and have been the top choice of avid gamers for many years. The ability to create a custom computer allows each user to set their own level of performance, but it can also add a significant degree of difficulty. Still, if you want to play flashy first-person shooters in Ultra HD at 120fps, a Windows gaming PC is your only option.
Windows Gaming PC Professionals
- An almost endless catalog: One of the biggest advantages of PC gaming is that there’s virtually no limit to the selection of games you can play. If your hardware can handle it, you can run almost any software released on the platform over the past two decades.
- Impressive levels of performance: If you can afford high-end hardware and know how to tune it properly, a Windows PC can deliver performance that even Apple’s high-end hardware can’t match.
- Customizable material: The ability to choose your components lets you set a specific budget for your gaming PC. By comparison, Apple computers force you to pay a particularly high price whether or not you use each of a MacBook’s premium features.
Disadvantages of Windows Gaming PC
- Setup can be a bit tricky: If you’re new to PCs or electronics in general, setting up a Windows PC can be confusing at first. Since Windows is designed to work with such a variety of hardware configurations, there are often issues in terms of communication between the software and other software and components. This is even more pronounced if you decide to modify your configuration to improve performance using methods such as overclocking.
- They are still not cheap: Due to external forces such as raw material shortages and massively increased demand, it’s surprisingly difficult to get your hands on powerful components without spending an arm and a leg.
Best Windows Gaming Desktops
Skytech Azure
Its Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 makes it easy to work on some of today’s most exciting titles.
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AVGPC Hellfire II
While it’s not the most powerful PC, it runs most games just fine and is great if you’re willing to save up for some upgrades over the next year.
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CUK Continuum Micro
It’s a compact desktop PC with your choice of the most advanced components on the market. The only downside is that it is quite expensive.
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Best Windows Gaming Laptops
MSI GP76 Leopard
It offers an excellent price/performance ratio and is equipped with a 17-inch screen that can display up to 240 frames per second.
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Asus TUF Gaming F17
This one is excellent value on a 17-inch gaming laptop that makes surprisingly few sacrifices.
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Asus ROG Strix Scar 17
If you demand top performance from high-end components, this is the one for you.
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Should you get a Windows or Apple gaming PC?
If you’re focused on high-resolution, resource-intensive gaming, a Windows gaming PC is definitely the right choice. If you’re only interested in casual or older games and want something that can make your creative or professional life easier, Apple computers (especially the newer MacBooks) are more fun than ever.
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Chris Thomas written for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their buying decisions, saving them time and money.
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