How to play Forza Horizon 4 on Mac

Game Overview

Forza Horizon 4 is an open-world racing game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios. Set in a stunningly recreated version of the United Kingdom, it offers players the chance to explore a diverse landscape featuring rolling hills, historic cities, and picturesque countryside. The game is renowned for its dynamic seasons system, which transforms the environment and driving conditions every week, providing a fresh experience with each change. Players can collect, modify, and race over 450 cars from various manufacturers, ensuring a rich and customizable experience for car enthusiasts. The shared world aspect allows players to encounter others in real-time, creating a lively and interactive community. Forza Horizon 4’s seamless integration of single-player and multiplayer elements, along with a wide array of events and challenges, keeps players engaged and coming back for more. Its stunning graphics, attention to detail, and engaging gameplay have contributed significantly to its popularity among racing game fans. While Forza Horizon 4 is primarily designed for Windows PCs and Xbox consoles, running it on a Mac is possible through methods like Boot Camp or third-party software such as Parallels Desktop, although performance may vary based on the Mac’s hardware specifications. This flexibility broadens its accessibility, allowing more players to experience the thrill of Horizon Festival.

1. Play Forza Horizon 4 on cloud gaming services (Xbox Cloud and GeForce Now)

Cloud gaming platforms stream games from remote servers, offering high performance without demanding hardware. Cloud gaming services are expanding the accessibility of gaming by eliminating many of the traditional barriers, such as the need for constant hardware upgrades and the initial cost of games. As internet speeds increase and technology advances, cloud gaming continues to grow as a popular alternative to traditional console and PC gaming.

Xbox Cloud

Xbox Cloud (formerly known as Project xCloud) is Microsoft’s cloud gaming service that enables players to stream a variety of Xbox games directly to their devices, such as smartphones, tablets, PCs, and consoles. This service is integrated with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing subscribers access to a vast library of games without the need for downloading them. Xbox Cloud Gaming supports playing games on the go with a compatible controller and a stable internet connection, offering the convenience of continuing your gaming session across multiple devices. It leverages Microsoft’s global network of Azure data centers to deliver low-latency gaming experiences, making it possible to play high-quality Xbox titles almost anywhere. Here’s a simplified guide to playing Forza Horizon 4 on Xbox Cloud Gaming:

1. Get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – subscribe via the Xbox website.
2. Xbox Cloud Gaming works on macOS through supported browsers like Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome.
3. Open your browser and go to the Xbox Cloud Gaming website. Log into your Microsoft account that’s associated with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
4. Find Forza Horizon 4 in the cloud gaming section and click Play.
5. Stream and play Forza Horizon 4 directly on your Mac.

Note: Boosteroid streams games seamlessly, making it accessible on most internet-connected devices.

GeForce Now

GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service developed by NVIDIA that allows users to stream video games to their devices, leveraging NVIDIA’s powerful cloud-based GPU servers. This service enables gamers to play their own games from popular digital libraries such as Steam, Epic Games Store, and Uplay on virtually any device, including PCs, Macs, Shield TVs, and mobile devices. GeForce Now differentiates itself by not requiring users to purchase games from a specific library, instead allowing them to play games they already own, provided those games are supported on the service. It offers various membership tiers, including a free option and a premium subscription that provides enhanced graphics with RTX technology, reduced waiting times, and extended session lengths.

1. Register for a GeForce Now account on their website. Choose between free or premium plans.
2. Install the GeForce Now app on your chosen device (PC, Mac, or mobile).
3. Use the search feature in the app to locate Forza Horizon 4.
4. Click Play on Forza Horizon 4 within the app to begin streaming the game.

3. Use Boot Camp (for Intel-based Macs only)

Note: Boot Camp is not supported on Macs with M1/M2/M3 chips.

Boot Camp is a utility software included with macOS that allows users to install and run Windows on Macintosh computers in a dual-boot configuration. By partitioning the computer’s hard drive, Boot Camp enables a Mac to boot either into macOS or Windows, providing full system performance for Windows as it runs natively on the hardware. This solution is ideal for Mac users who need to run Windows applications that do not have macOS versions or who require the performance benefits of running certain programs directly on the hardware without virtualization overhead. Boot Camp simplifies the installation process, guiding users through the setup with step-by-step instructions and making it straightforward to switch between operating systems.

1. Get the Windows 10 ISO file (Windows 11 ISO file) from the Microsoft website. Choose the version that matches your license.
2. Find Boot Camp in the Utilities folder within your Applications. Open it to start the setup.
3. Use Boot Camp Assistant to allocate space on your hard drive for Windows. Follow the on-screen instructions to adjust the partition size.
4. Follow the prompts in Boot Camp Assistant to begin the Windows installation. Your Mac will reboot into the Windows setup.
5. During the Windows installation, choose the BOOTCAMP partition and format it.
6. Complete the installation by following the Windows setup instructions.
7. To switch between macOS and Windows, restart your Mac and hold the Option key to select the operating system you want to use.
8. Once Windows is installed, set up Forza Horizon 4 like on any PC.

Why users cannot run Forza Horizon 4 on Mac via Crossover or Parallels?

Running Forza Horizon 4 on a Mac using Crossover or Parallels presents several challenges. The primary issue is that Forza Horizon 4 is a Windows-exclusive title, designed to run on Microsoft’s DirectX, which is not natively supported on macOS. Crossover and Parallels, while capable of emulating or virtualizing a Windows environment on a Mac, often struggle with high-performance games that require intricate DirectX functionalities. These programs may not fully support the advanced graphics and rendering techniques used in modern games like Forza Horizon 4, leading to compatibility issues. Additionally, even if the game were to launch, performance could be severely hindered due to the overhead of emulation or virtualization, resulting in lag or graphical glitches. Furthermore, hardware limitations on some Mac models, which may lack dedicated gaming GPUs, exacerbate these challenges. As a result, running Forza Horizon 4 on a Mac through these methods often proves impractical for those seeking a smooth gaming experience.