While HoYoverse is yet to launch their flagship title Genshin Impact for Macs, there exist a few ways to get the game up and running on the platform. The most widely used method is via a program known as PlayCover, which emulates the iOS version of the game on Macs.
A walkthrough of the steps needed to follow in order to get Genshin Impact up and running on a Mac can be found detailed in the next section. Do keep in mind that the methods described below require Apple Silicon machines – that is, a compatible Mac with an M1 chip or newer.
How to play Genshin Impact on Mac using PlayCover
To play Genshin on a Mac, you will need to install and download PlayCover first. Make sure to use the Nightly version of the application over the stable variant. Once installed, follow the steps in sequence to get the game up and running:
- Download the Genshin Impact .ipa file from a suitable source (such as decrypt.day).
- Boot up PlayCover.
- Click on the + button and navigate to the directory where you have the ipa file stored. Select the file.
- Wait for the installation to complete.
- Don’t launch the game just yet. Right click on the game icon and click on the ‘Settings’ sub menu.
- Within the ‘Graphics’ tab, select your emulated iOS device as a M1 series iPad or newer. Keep the resolution at ‘Auto’ and ‘Resolution Scaler’ at 1.0.
- Under the ‘Misc’ tab, select the Application Type as ‘public.app-category.games’.
- Enable the Metal HUD if you wish to monitor performance while in-game.
Next, simply boot up the game and let the download complete. Log in using your HoYoverse account and play as usual – using a controller or an appropriate keymap (which can be loaded using the ‘Import Keymapping’ option under the App Library).
Alternative methods to play Genshin Impact on Macs
While PlayCover does run rather impressively well (even on a base M1 Macbook Air), it is ultimately the iOS version of the game – and not the Windows based PC port, which comes with more than a few bells and whistles of its own.
Alternative projects and applications such as Whisky and Crossover may be enough to install (and run) the PC version of the game. Do note that compatibility isn’t guaranteed, and some of these solutions are not entirely free – requiring a subscription to be able to use them.
