Anyone using officially supported eGPU for gaming now?

[LincolnsiPod]

Is anyone using officially supported eGPU on a MacBook Pro setup now, particularly to play games from Steam? (No Bootcamp or hacks, just a straightforward eGPU connection for MacOS)

I love to play Steam games that don't require a lot of juice on MacOS, but even some of my favorites (like the Long Dark) struggle since I usually play in clamshell mode on a 4K monitor. I'm curious to know if an eGPU solution can make a dramatic difference.

 

[Irishman]

I'm interested in the responses you get from our fellow mac gamers. I myself have adopted a wait and see approach, checking the forums over at egpu.io from time to time.

So far I've not seen any compelling reasons to jump in for fun and games.

How about you?

 

[LincolnsiPod]

I have a Steam account and some games I bought that were "supposed" to run just fine with my Mac hardware are disastrous. I get framerates of 15 FPS on a good day with these types of games. I generally like to play games that have been out a number of years because you get them for a steal during Steam sales, so even when the hardware requirements aren't like today's games I still need more graphic oomph.

One option is to get a PC rig, but I don't like the idea of a computer used exclusively for gaming and taking up more space in my apartment, and one that's not portable either. It also complicates the setup of having to connect the same monitor, keyboard, mice etc, even though I could technically use a switch. Despite the high price of the eGPU I think it's either roughly the same as a moderately built PC rig or cheaper, plus the portable size means I could play my favorite Steam games on the road as well with just my MacBook, which is a major bonus.

Unfortunately I have to wait until I upgrade my MacBook as I currently have a mid-2014 model, and only 2016 models and up officially support eGPU.

Edit: Of course there's the option of Bootcamp with eGPU now, but the eGPU.io forums are rife with people who had issues or glitches attempting these kinds of setups on older MacBooks, it's really more for those who like to tinker with the hardware and have a high tolerance for bugs. For myself I just want to plug in and go.