DirectX 12 compatibility

Experimental · advanced · free, not part of MaPC Pro · MaPC 1.0.2 Beta or later

DirectX 9, 10 and 11 games work in MaPC without any of this. DirectX 12 games need Apple’s D3DMetal, which is part of Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit. MaPC doesn’t include, sell or license it. If you install the toolkit yourself, MaPC can use D3DMetal from your copy.

Before you start: Apple’s license

The Game Porting Toolkit comes with Apple’s license, which you accept when you download it. That license covers developing, testing and evaluating games for Apple devices. Your use of D3DMetal is between you and Apple: read Apple’s terms and decide whether your use fits them. MaPC doesn’t include, sell or change Apple’s software. It copies D3DMetal from your download, checks Apple’s signature first, and shows you Apple’s license before installing. If you’re not sure your use fits Apple’s license, don’t use this option. It’s experimental, advanced and used at your own risk; it’s free, it isn’t part of MaPC Pro, and we may change or remove it.

What you need

  • MaPC 1.0.2 Beta or later, set up with its main engine.
  • A free Apple Account, to sign in to Apple’s developer downloads.
  • About 650 MB free: 270 MB for MaPC’s DirectX 12 engine, the rest for the toolkit download.

Steps

  1. Open the DirectX 12 setup. In MaPC, click DirectX 12 at the bottom of Home. You can also use Settings › Engine › Set Up DirectX 12…, or Add DirectX 12 Support on a DirectX 12 game’s page.
  2. Download the DirectX 12 engine. Next to DirectX 12 engine, click Download. It’s free, built from CodeWeavers’ open-source CrossOver code, and checked before MaPC uses it. Wait for the green check.
  3. Download the Game Porting Toolkit from Apple. Click Open Apple’s Download Page. Sign in with your Apple Account, find Game Porting Toolkit (3.0 or later) and download the .dmg file. You don’t need to open it.
  4. Choose the download in MaPC. Click Choose Download… and pick the file, usually Downloads/Game_Porting_Toolkit_3.0.dmg. You can also drag it onto the dashed box. MaPC opens it, finds D3DMetal and checks that it’s signed by Apple. Nothing is installed yet.
  5. Read Apple’s license and install. MaPC shows the license from your download. If you agree, click Agree and Install. When both steps have a green check, click Done.
  6. Run the game. MaPC detects DirectX 12 games and uses D3DMetal for them automatically. A game’s page shows D3DMetal under Graphics. For a Steam game, MaPC may ask to restart Steam once, because Steam and its games share one engine.

If something goes wrong

  • “That file doesn’t contain D3DMetal.” Make sure you chose the Game Porting Toolkit disk image from Apple, not another file. Versions before MaPC 1.0.1 can’t read the toolkit’s current layout, so update MaPC.
  • “…isn’t signed by Apple.” The file is damaged or isn’t Apple’s. Download it again from Apple’s page.
  • “Close running games first.” Quit games and Steam, then try again.
  • A game still won’t start. Not every DirectX 12 game works on D3DMetal yet. Open the game’s page, choose More › Show Log, and email it to support@mapc.games with your Mac model.

Updating or removing

To use a newer toolkit, open the DirectX 12 setup again and click Replace… next to Apple D3DMetal, then choose the new download. To remove DirectX 12 support, go to Settings › Engine › Installed engines and click Remove next to engine 2.0.0, then delete the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Macade/D3DMetal.

Apple, Metal and Game Porting Toolkit are trademarks of Apple Inc. DirectX is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. CrossOver is a trademark of CodeWeavers. MaPC isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.