Fortnite is one of the most popular battle royal video games, with millions of active players each month. However, Apple fanatics have not been able to access the game in the last two years due to the Epic Games and Apple’s lawsuit which saw the Cupertino firm pull the game from its App Store.
Fortnite’s departure from the App Store has left iOS and macOS users unable to update the game to access its latest features and seasonal releases. That means you are not able to play Fortnite across Apple’s mobile and desktop platforms.
However, there are some workarounds you can use to play Fortnite on your Mac machines. In the section below, we are going to show you how to play Epic Games’ well-known battle royal game on a Mac.
First, installing Windows through Boot Camp Assistant
Boot Camp is one of the most common ways to install Windows operating systems on a Mac machine. In this case, you definitely can run Windows 10 or 11 on your Mac and play Fortnite without any restrictions.
However, keep in mind that Mac machines with Apple’s Silicon chip lack support for traditional Boot Camp x86 Windows installations. That means you cannot install Windows on a Mac M1 using Boot Camp Assistant.
If you are now on an Intel-powered Mac, then it’s super easy to run Windows on a Boot Camp partition. Once you are done, head to the Epic Games Store and install Fortnite.
Note that the game’s performance varies depending on your hardware. So, make sure your machine is powerful enough to run the game.
Virtual Machine
As you cannot run Windows on a Boot Camp partition, it’s possible to run it on a virtual machine. There are several programs that allow you to run a virtual machine on your Mac, but we are using Parallels in this tutorial. The company was one of the first developers to support Macs with the M1 chip by announcing Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac.
With Parallels, you can easily install Windows on a Mac and play Fortnite. However, the process is not straightforward for some folks out there. Here is how.
Step 1: First off, you need to download and install Parallels Desktop 17 for Mac. You can sign up for a 14-day free trial, allowing you to enjoy its full features before committing to paying for it.
Step 2: When you have the software installed on your Mac, register as a Windows Insider – follow this link to sign up.
Step 3: Now download Windows 10/11 on ARM Insider Preview. You can get the download via Microsoft’s official download page (make sure you are logged into your Windows Insider account).
Step 4: Launch Parallels on your Mac and configure your Windows installation. From the pop-up, hit Continue > Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file.
Step 5: Parallels will start detecting the Windows install image. Once it’s done, hit Continue. Of course, you can customize settings to your liking and then hit Create to proceed.
Step 6: The software will now create the virtual machine and then you will be able to configure the amount of memory and CPU cores allocated to your virtual machine.
Step 7: Once everything is set, the Windows installation should begin and it may take several minutes. When it’s done, run Windows updates and go to the Epic Games Store to install Fortnite.
GeForce Now
If you find installing Windows on a virtual machine complicated, then you can use a cloud gaming service to access the game. GeForce Now stands out as one of the best services for streaming games on your Mac. However, you need a good internet connection to access its servers.
Step 1: Head over to GeForce Now’s official page, select Play Now and select your subscription plan.
Step 2: Log into your Nvidia account and then download the Mac version of the GeForce Now client. Once it’s done, open the Applications folder and launch the client.
Step 3: Select Fortnite and hit the Play button. The client will start analyzing your network for a better gaming experience. Keep in mind that you may experience lag and performance issues during your gameplay.
The Bottom Line
Playing Fortnite on a Mac machine is not a straightforward process due to the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games. However, there are still several ways to make that possible. Each method above has its own flaws, choosing which is best all comes down to you.
