HGL
optimistic-gold
Windows-only Steam game on Mac
Is there a way to use Heroic to play a Windows-only Steam game on my Mac? Steam won't let me download the game so when I try to use the "Add Game" button in Heroic, I can't find the game.
25 Replies
like-gold•4mo ago
Over on the debunked Whisky discord, there were suggestions that turning off msync or esync allowed for steam games to download. Myself I did not experience this issue of games not downloading.
extended-salmon•4mo ago
Are you on the latest heroic version? There is a button on the library to install windows steam now.
optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
im on 2.17.0
where is this button? i havent been able to find it
extended-salmon•4mo ago
Just besides the add game button
Make sure you don't have already steam added on heroic (through the add game button) otherwise it won't show the button
optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
all ive done in heroic is linked my epic games account
extended-salmon•4mo ago
Is this apple silicon or Intel mac?
optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
intel
extended-salmon•4mo ago
Ah ok. This feature is only for apple icon because it needs gptk to work 😕
optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
ah :(
so if i downloaded a windows version of steam and used heroic to open it, then signed into my steam account in there, would i be able to play my windows-only games?
extended-salmon•4mo ago
Yes. But I think it will only work with crossover on Intel macs
But you can try with wine crossover
optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
what do you mean by crossover?
afraid-scarlet•4mo ago
https://www.codeweavers.com this (which is not the same as wine-crossover that can be installed with heroic)
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optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
tried using wine to run the steam installer, but when it launches i get an unexpected transport error
it being the steam app
like-gold•4mo ago
Running on intel Mac you will be limited to games running Direct X9, while Apple Silicon Mac can (in my testing) run both DX9 and 10 , 11 and higher. I tried running The Outer Worlds on my Mac Pro 2013 using Heroic Game launcher and it told me I needed Direct X 10 support. On My silicon Mac it runs fine. Have you considered Bootcamp?
like-gold•4mo ago
Intel Mac heroic launcher without steam button
like-gold•4mo ago
Apple Silicon Mac with steam button
fascinating-indigo•4mo ago
I mean if you are on an intel mac, why not give boot camp a shot?
optimistic-goldOP•4mo ago
i do have bootcamp but i find it a hassle to switch back and forth so i generally avoid it
fascinating-indigo•4mo ago
ahhh yeah ok gotchya
like-gold•4mo ago
TLDR: Use Bootcamp on intel Macs.
In all honesty there is no one button solution to gaming on a mac. The easiest solution is running windows with bootcamp. The next level would be to stick to MacOS and run the limited native games that are known to run well on intel macs and apple silicon macs. The next level of difficulty would be with heroic game launcher (wine) and finding those games that will run and don’t take too much extra technical skills to work.
Finally the hardest level install wine with home-brew and build your own graphics dependencies (Open GL or DriectX). this would require programming knowledge and a powerful Mac with plenty of ram, graphics and storage.
Stream ran on another launcher “Whisky” which was apple silicon only, there was a fix to get it working properly which can be fond here https://docs.getwhisky.app/steam.html it required a lot of adding arguments to configure the app. I wonder if Heroic developers have fixed the issue in their install of steam. I am guessing that the windows version of steam requires something that the intel version of Heroic does not support, but the apple silicon can support.
Another option would be GOG.com as you can buy and download windows games from the site and then install them and play them in heroic game launcher. The drawback would be a limited selection of old games and direct X9.
Another option for Mac gaming would be https://www.macsourceports.com have a list of old games that have Mac source ports that run natively on MacOS intel and Silicon. You will still need to buy the games from GOG, then run them in a source port.
Mac Source Ports - Run old games on new Macs
Mac Source Ports features signed and notarized builds of source ports of your favorite games, working on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
fascinating-indigo•4mo ago
I wonder if Heroic developers have fixed the issue in their install of steam. I am guessing that the windows version of steam requires something that the intel version of Heroic does not support, but the apple silicon can support.from what I can tell, the windows steam that heroic installs is essentially a modified steam build which doesn’t update itself automatically, and runs on GPTK (so it won’t work on intel macs), so it basically takes care of all the extra environment arguments in the background when it’s installed
afraid-scarlet•4mo ago
on intel mac you can install steam using crossover and it works, then how each game works it will depend
with wine-crossover the official steam doesn't even install, and the modified version heroic uses for gptk opens but then (at least for me), it gets stuck downloading games
fascinating-indigo•4mo ago
did you have msync on when you tried it, out of curiosity?
its like a known thing that msync causes steam to get stuckduring a download, for some odd reason
afraid-scarlet•4mo ago
I think I did, I never tried again after that
fascinating-indigo•4mo ago
give it another shot, might work