Steam to End Support for macOS Mojave and 32-Bit Games

[Canubis]

Just keep old systems and old consoles around if you need to play vintage stuff. It's what gamers have been doing forever.

Unfortunately the thing with Steam is, that at least some games bought there need Steam to be running to launch and work. As long as the old version of Steam keeps running that's fine, but incase there is any server related stuff, Valve probably won't care to break things once they stop to support it.

Not sure if the need for Steam is the case with all, esp. older titles. But at least some more recent titles like Tomb Raider or Hitman definitely ask for or launch themselves Steam when you try to directly launch the games from Finder. To my understanding they won't work without Steam.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Here’s some context which you repeatedly leave out, either intentionally or unintentionally:

The axing of 32-bit was done because Apple’s cpu architecture doesn’t support 32-bit operations.

Neither does Windows 11 yet Microsoft still included a 32 bit compatibility mode so legacy software people bought and paid for would still work.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I have a feeling that Steam regrets even supporting the Mac, sometimes.

I think that we can expect it to be fairly aggressive about dropping intel 64 bit support, when the time comes.

It wasn't a problem until Mojave and Catalina showed up, as the requirement for app notarization, the axing of 32 bit app support without offering a compatibility mode for legacy software, and forcing everyone to use Metal when everyone was moving to DirectX 12 and Vulkan, kinda threw a wrench into everything. But hey this is Apple we're talking about, they love throwing wrenches into their software and hardware and make others have to pick it up, like not including a charger with their damn phones or serializing parts to make it more difficult for third party repair shops to do something as simple as a glass replacement

 

[Nicole1980]

No because Valve is open to letting developers do whatever they want

Also you can still use a keyboard and mouse and a 27 inch screen. It’s a PC, and you can use any USB-C dock you want

View attachment 2319672

But doesnt steamdeck use Steam? If so, it will also be updated to 64-bit only

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

But doesnt steamdeck use Steam? If so, it will also be updated to 64-bit only

The Steam Deck can use Steam or not. It's a PC, you can do whatever you want with it, even running other launchers and operating systems. You can even wipe the OS and install Windows on it should you so choose, Valve is just "knock yourself out, it's your device"

Also Valve is not ending support for 32 bit games. They're only doing it for macOS since Apple cut 32 bit app support all the way back in Catalina.

 

[JosephAW]

Why can't Apple just provide a download to support older applications, I upgrade to Ventura in a heartbeat if they would allow 32bit apps via a library download.

When I moved my Linux server to a 64 bit version, I had a few programs didn't run because they were 32bit and I would just download/compile some 32 bit libraries and they would run just fine under 64-bit. Should be the same way in macOS UNIX.
Thinking we're just getting a smokescreen from Apple making us think that we can't run these anymore because the libraries are missing.

 

[Homy]

Here’s some context which you repeatedly leave out, either intentionally or unintentionally:

The axing of 32-bit was done because Apple’s cpu architecture doesn’t support 32-bit operations.

Metal was created after OpenGL stagnated due to disagreement between members of the consortium. Later, when Vulkan was made in the ashes of OpenGL, Apple was an initial member, but left when Vulkan titled toward a programming model that emphasized low level control instead of Apple’s desired high level control.

On to the business aspect:

Somehow, the iPhone and iPad, which are more restrictive platforms with the same limitations, receive far more support than MacOS.

This is because of profitability and market penetration. Simply because there’s far more iPhones in the wild than Macs.

The biggest engines used all support 64-bit only and Metal, so that’s not an issue. There’s nothing in modern engines that require 32-bit operations specifically and nobody is making games using hand optimized, architecture specific instructions.

Stop spreading this garbage about developers being forced out by Apple, when the situation is that they had no intention of supporting Mac in the first place.

Intentionally of course since we already had a long discussion about that video here.

 

[mcfrazieriv]

I was once mostly a Mac Steam user. Mostly.

 

[reden]

Because either those developers are long gone, or in their eyes it's not worth it due to how little people play on macOS versus Linux and Windows, or they literally can't due to a technical issue. Valve's old Source games for example are all 32 bit due to how old the Source Engine is. They tried to update Half Life 2 to 64 bit, but it did not work right at all. It crashed constantly and had horrible framerate that the 64 bit update was scrapped entirely. It's why CSGO ran so poor on macOS nowadays since Catalina forced them to haphazardly update the game to 64 bit, on an engine never meant to run 64 bit binaries to begin with



Fortunately there's a solution for Mac users who want their library of games: The Valve Steam Deck, which just got refreshed to have 1TB configurations and a new OLED model with longer battery life. Combined with a price drop for higher configs it's never been a better time to hop on the handheld Linux PC that could.

Steam Deck

Available now.

www.steamdeck.com

Or just check Apple Gaming Wiki and see if your game works through GPTK.

This sounds like an advertisement lol.

 

[Mystakill]

On the plus side, the change won't affect the majority of Mac users, since 98%+ of Steam customers on Mac are already running macOS 10.15 or newer.

We may have upgraded, but we've been mourning the loss of existing 32-bit games since 10.15.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

This sounds like an advertisement lol.

No this isn't an ad. What do you think I am a sellout? I don't bow to a sponsor

 

[Nicole1980]

The Steam Deck can use Steam or not. It's a PC, you can do whatever you want with it, even running other launchers and operating systems. You can even wipe the OS and install Windows on it should you so choose, Valve is just "knock yourself out, it's your device"

Also Valve is not ending support for 32 bit games. They're only doing it for macOS since Apple cut 32 bit app support all the way back in Catalina.

Ah good point

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Why can't Apple just provide a download to support older applications, I upgrade to Ventura in a heartbeat if they would allow 32bit apps via a library download.

Now see, that's the thing: Apple have a mindset that you can only look forward, never backward. (Let's just ignore the fact they had to reverse course on their Macbook Pro designs bringing back not just Magsafe but legacy ports)

When I moved my Linux server to a 64 bit version, I had a few programs didn't run because they were 32bit and I would just download/compile some 32 bit libraries and they would run just fine under 64-bit. Should be the same way in macOS UNIX.
Thinking we're just getting a smokescreen from Apple making us think that we can't run these anymore because the libraries are missing.

This is why I keep saying GPTK has been a gamechanger, not for the developer tools in it, but for the compatibility layer in it. Apple solved the game compatibility problem with macOS at WWDC and don't even realize it. All it would take is improvements to the Wine Wrapper in GPTK and changes to the license to make Mac gaming as viable as it is on Windows and Linux.

Unfortunately there's some people (if you know you know) who are strongly against the idea of a system wide compatibility layer for macOS similar to Steam Proton that would allow you to run the majority of Windows software right out of the box.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Ah good point

Yeah seriously check it out because the Steam Deck is so cool. A lot of people sold their gaming PCs and defaulted to Steam Decks for how convenient it is, and many people are using Decks as portable professional workstations

Steam Deck

Available now.

www.steamdeck.com

Valve offers an official dock but you can use whatever USB-C dock you want so you're not limited to how you want to use your Deck

 

[Trusteft]

While I don't game on Mac, this is partly why I just avoid buying games from Steam. They always drop support for previous OS, even if the games still run and even need the older OS.
I don't know how the macOS support is, but at least for my Windows computer I buy 99% of my games from GOG. DRM free so I can still install them whenever the frell I want without having to rely on any client or server (after the original download).

 

[BuddyRich]

Because either those developers are long gone, or in their eyes it's not worth it due to how little people play on macOS versus Linux and Windows, or they literally can't due to a technical issue. Valve's old Source games for example are all 32 bit due to how old the Source Engine is. They tried to update Half Life 2 to 64 bit, but it did not work right at all. It crashed constantly and had horrible framerate that the 64 bit update was scrapped entirely. It's why CSGO ran so poor on macOS nowadays since Catalina forced them to haphazardly update the game to 64 bit, on an engine never meant to run 64 bit binaries to begin with



Fortunately there's a solution for Mac users who want their library of games: The Valve Steam Deck, which just got refreshed to have 1TB configurations and a new OLED model with longer battery life. Combined with a price drop for higher configs it's never been a better time to hop on the handheld Linux PC that could.

Steam Deck

Available now.

www.steamdeck.com

Or just check Apple Gaming Wiki and see if your game works through GPTK.

Just got an OLED Deck... but really I had been quite satisfied with Whisky and GPTK... which is essentially what Steam does with Proton to get Windows games working on the linux-based Deck...

Though Mac now also has the x86 to Arm translation via Rosetta 2 to do, which isn't so bad but AVX extensions aren't supported so some games don't work...

Also really wish Apple supported Vulkan rather than going their own way with MetalFX... if only to leverage whats being done for Steamdeck in the Linux space. Otherwise GPTK does good DX12 to Metal translation.

Throw in a PS5 for AAA games, the Deck for portable and PC specific games and Mac for everyday computing tasks and you have a pretty solid combination.

 

[Ethosik]

With the big Steam update, it ran fine up until a couple weeks ago. Now on all 8 of my Apple Silicon Macs if I quit Steam it locks up. I need to force quit it every day. I tested on my other Mac’s to see if it was an M2 Ultra issue.

When will Steam be good on macOS?

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

With the big Steam update, it ran fine up until a couple weeks ago. Now on all 8 of my Apple Silicon Macs if I quit Steam it locks up. I need to force quit it every day. I tested on my other Mac’s to see if it was an M2 Ultra issue.

When will Steam be good on macOS?

It is good. My Steam for Mac client hasn't had any issues since the Mac client finally got hardware acceleration.

What's your specs?

 

[Ethosik]

Why do we even need an ARM native version of Steam ? It runs well in Rosetta 2 and shouldn't affect the performance of the actual game being played.

It does not run well at all. See my previous post. And before that big update it would lock up after 10 minutes being idle.

 

[Ethosik]

It is good. My Steam for Mac client hasn't had any issues since the Mac client finally got hardware acceleration.

What's your specs?

Primary system is M2 Ultra, 8TB SSD, 128GB RAM.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Primary system is M2 Ultra, 8TB SSD, 128GB RAM.

macOS version? Ventura or Sonoma?

 

[MRMSFC]

It is good. My Steam for Mac client hasn't had any issues since the Mac client finally got hardware acceleration.

What's your specs?

Gabe will never love you, I’m sorry.

With the big Steam update, it ran fine up until a couple weeks ago. Now on all 8 of my Apple Silicon Macs if I quit Steam it locks up. I need to force quit it every day. I tested on my other Mac’s to see if it was an M2 Ultra issue.

When will Steam be good on macOS?

Some rumors say that Valve doesn’t even have Macs in their offices anymore. They probably contract out the porting to Mac.

 

[Nicole1980]

Yeah seriously check it out because the Steam Deck is so cool. A lot of people sold their gaming PCs and defaulted to Steam Decks for how convenient it is, and many people are using Decks as portable professional workstations

Steam Deck

Available now.

www.steamdeck.com

Valve offers an official dock but you can use whatever USB-C dock you want so you're not limited to how you want to use your Deck

Thats all good, but I do like having ALL my stuff, along with Windows via bootcamp, on a single computer. Its a one-size-fits-all solution, which is way more elegant than having this other device attached to this other monitor that I would switch over to just to play Steam games

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Thats all good, but I do like having ALL my stuff, along with Windows via bootcamp, on a single computer. Its a one-size-fits-all solution, which is way more elegant than having this other device attached to this other monitor that I would switch over to just to play Steam games

Think of it more as a companion device that compliments your single computer, as you can take whatever you are currently playing on the go with you, and you will have your library on you wherever. No limits to where and when you can play

I took my Steam Deck to the Apple Store since I needed maintenance done on my Macbook Pro, and everyone in the store just crowded around me as they all wanted a turn playing on it, even the Apple Store employees. They each were taking turns playing GTA5 on it when I just wanted to play Persona 4 Golden. 😅

 

[Ethosik]

macOS version? Ventura or Sonoma?

Sonoma. Latest.