How to play NARAKA: BLADEPOINT on Mac

Game Overview

NARAKA: BLADEPOINT is a thrilling battle royale game that combines martial arts and fantasy elements to create a distinctive and engaging experience. Players are thrust into a fast-paced environment where they can choose from a roster of heroes, each with unique abilities and fighting styles. The game emphasizes melee combat, allowing players to engage in intense sword fights and acrobatic maneuvers, although ranged weapons are also available. Its grappling hook mechanic adds a layer of verticality and mobility, enabling players to traverse the map with agility and precision. The richly detailed world and intricate character designs contribute to its visual appeal, while the blend of Eastern and Western mythologies adds depth to the game’s lore. The competitive aspect is heightened by the game’s skill-based mechanics, which reward strategic thinking and precise execution. Its popularity can be attributed to the combination of fluid combat, stunning visuals, and the constant addition of new content and updates that keep the community engaged. Currently, running the game on a Mac is a challenge, as it is primarily designed for Windows platforms. However, using solutions like Boot Camp or cloud gaming may offer Mac users a way to experience this captivating game.

1. Play NARAKA: BLADEPOINT on cloud gaming services (Boosteroid 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.

Boosteroid

Boosteroid is a cloud gaming platform that allows users to play video games directly from the cloud on various devices, including PCs, smartphones, and smart TVs. This service provides access to a wide range of games without the need for powerful hardware. With Boosteroid, gamers can stream their favorite games over the internet, bypassing the need for downloading or updating games locally. The platform operates on a subscription model, offering different tiers to accommodate various user needs and preferences. Boosteroid is known for its ease of use, enabling seamless gaming experiences across different operating systems and devices, promoting greater accessibility and convenience for gamers worldwide.

1. Visit Boosteroid, sign up, and subscribe.
2. Search for the NARAKA: BLADEPOINT game and play directly in your web browser.

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 NARAKA: BLADEPOINT.
4. Click Play on NARAKA: BLADEPOINT 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 NARAKA: BLADEPOINT like on any PC.

Why users cannot run NARAKA: BLADEPOINT on Mac via Crossover or Parallels?

NARAKA: BLADEPOINT employs a kernel-level anti-cheat system called NeacSafe, which is deeply integrated into the Windows operating system, particularly within the System32 directory. This anti-cheat software requires specific Windows security features to be disabled, such as Memory Integrity (HVCI_KMCI), to function correctly. Unfortunately, this poses a significant challenge for running the game on macOS through virtualization tools like Crossover or Parallels. These tools create a virtualized environment that often lacks the necessary low-level access to the host system’s kernel, which is essential for the anti-cheat software to operate effectively. Consequently, the anti-cheat system detects the virtualized environment as a potential security risk or an unsupported configuration, preventing the game from launching or running properly. This limitation underscores the broader issue of compatibility between advanced anti-cheat mechanisms and virtualized systems, making it difficult for Mac users to play certain Windows-exclusive games without native support or alternative solutions like cloud gaming services.