Cover-Credits:
Counter-Strike 2 was announced as a free upgrade for all Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players but only Windows (Steam) users got access to the limited beta. It has left players on Linux and Mac OS concerned about Counter-Strike 2’s release on other platforms. If you are a Mac user and are wondering if Counter-Strike 2 will release on your platform, here’s what you need to know.
Counter-Strike 2 is likely to come to Mac OS
While there is no official confirmation about a Mac OS version of Counter-Strike 2, the Mac OS version of CS:GO is updated frequently and is still supported by Valve to this date. It is unlikely that Valve would abandon a part of its existing playerbase when releasing Counter-Strike.
Players should be able to download Counter-Strike 2 via Steam on Mac OS when it releases. The current system requirements for CS:GO on Mac OS are as follows:
OS: MacOS X 10.11 (El Capitan) or later
Processor: Intel Core Duo Processor (2GHz or better)
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 2400 or better / NVIDIA 8600M or better
Storage: 15 GB available space
The system requirements may remain the same for Counter-Strike 2 on Mac OS but there are visual enhancements and an engine upgrade being offered so players should be prepared for a slight bump to the hardware requirements.
Even if Counter-Strike 2 does not launch officially on Mac OS, you should still be able to play the game using Boot Camp, which is a tool that allows you to run Windows on a Mac OS system.
Do note that emulating Windows is a hardware-intensive process and you will need a powerful Mac system to run the game optimally. The game may also not work as intended on Apple’s M1/M2 processors and you may need to play on an Intel-based Mac system instead. We recommend waiting for an official announcement from Valve before making any hardware purchases to play the game on MacOS.
If you want to try the game on any of the compatible platforms, you can check out our guide on how to play Counter-Strike 2’s Limited Beta Test. You can also check out our guide that discusses Counter-Strike 2’s console release.
