Games being supported on Apple Silicon Macs have now become a reality, with a multitude of older and current-generation titles arriving for the platform, and things are looking up from here too. Shortly after the WWDC 2024 keynote finished, Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit 2 became available to download for developers. There is one key detail that we found highly interesting, which is support for the AVX2 instruction set.
For those unfamiliar with this term, it is a CPU instruction set that improves floating point performance that can help some games run better on updated hardware. Thankfully, the latest Game Porting Toolkit 2 update brings some positive news for Apple’s M4, but for that, we will have to wait for updated Macs to arrive.
Latest games like Alan Wake 2 and others require the AVX2 instruction set, hinting at the arrival of these titles for future Apple Silicon Macs
On Apple’s website section catered to developers, there is nothing noteworthy provided about the Game Porting Toolkit 2, other than letting individuals test the performance of their games using various technologies. However, with the addition of the AVX2 instruction set, several doors have been opened.
Unfortunately, according to YouTuber Vadim Yuryev, this instruction set is not supported on M1, M2, or M3 chipsets, suggesting that the M4 might be Apple’s first custom SoC to have a few games running flawlessly on it. After all, the M4 is the first Apple Silicon to adopt the ARMv9 architecture, allowing it to run more complex workloads more efficiently, resulting in increased single-core and multi-core performance, as demonstrated in an earlier benchmark leak, where the SoC was running circles around the M2 and M3.
However, not every game will benefit from the AVX2 instruction set, and some titles, particularly those running made using Unreal Engine 5, do not require AVX2. Regardless, it is still a significant development as we look closer at Apple’s plans to steer gamers away from other platforms. Now, if we could get cheaper Apple Silicon Macs to immerse ourselves in these titles, that would be the cherry on top.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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