The first base Apple Silicon Macs with 8GB of unified memory would have been sufficient for light tasks, but as soon as you open a boatload of apps or start something taxing, RAM swapping kicks in, and the machine’s SSD begins to be used, dropping fluidity and performance.
Fortunately, the Cupertino firm addressed this problem by shipping all of its current-generation Apple Silicon Macs with 16GB of unified memory. However, there’s an entirely new issue that needs to be tackled and quickly: gaming. A new video showing some Cronos: The New Dawn gameplay on various Macs, and after a while, the framebuffer is completely used up, with the solid-state drive having to lend a helping hand.
Offering higher unified memory configurations for Apple Silicon Macs at lower prices, most probably isn’t going to happen
On YouTube, MrMacRight has fired up the Unreal Engine 5 title, which supports Apple’s MetalFX upscaling technology, hinting that the title has been officially ported to macOS. Unfortunately, even at the low graphics settings preset and enabling MetalFX isn’t enough to ensure that the M4 delivers a fluid gaming experience.
Sure, some of the problem has to do with Cronos: The New Dawn being incredibly intensive, not to mention the continuous shader compilation happening in the background, but the biggest hurdle is that there isn’t enough memory available for the system, forcing data to be temporarily stored and swapped to the SSD. The problem temporarily goes away when restarting the game, but it’s only a band-aid fix.
While you can see that the overlay shows 15FPS, there were moments where the title dipped below 7FPS. The M4 Pro has less of a headache dealing with these limitations, as it is equipped with 24GB of unified RAM, but as you can tell in the image, Cronos: The New Dawn needs to be played on the low graphics preset and upscaling on this higher-end chipset too, to achieve a respectable performance level.
One can argue that Unreal Engine 5 is riddled with performance issues across multiple platforms, with even our review mentioning stuttering on PC, but then, it would make more sense for buyers to purchase Windows 11-powered hardware exclusively for gaming since these components can brute-force their way to ensure a higher FPS.
If Apple Silicon Macs want to attract gamers to this platform, the minimum unified RAM requirement has to be raised again. We’ve seen it before, and it can be repeated. Sadly, the disappointing part is that Apple will probably not push through with this decision because gamers aren’t its primary target market.
For instance, the low-cost MacBook, which is said to ship with a paltry 8GB of memory, is estimated to account for 25 percent of Apple’s portable computing revenue recorded in 2025 when it launches later this year. You can check out MrMacRight’s video up top for a better look at the performance, but let us warn you that it’s going to be an unsavory experience.
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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