Apple does not market the new MacBook Air M3 as a gaming laptop. But some users were curious. They tested its abilities. This article shares the results.
A YouTuber named Andrew Tsai tested 10 different games. He used the basic MacBook Air M3 model. He wanted to see how it handled gaming demands. This is for the less expensive MacBook Air M3.
The MacBook Air M3 is sold as an affordable Mac. It starts at about $599. It uses Apple's A18 Pro chip. This chip design is also used in high-end iPhones.
The laptop is mainly for daily tasks and student use. This test looked at Apple's growing graphics power. Could it run light games? A report from 'Digital Trends' shared this info.
Tsai tested games made for Mac. He also tested Windows games and emulator games. He wanted to see how the MacBook Air M3 handled different gaming situations.
The results were mixed. Some games worked better than expected for a cheap laptop.
For example, 'Cyberpunk 2077' was not smooth. It only ran well at 720p. All graphics settings were at the lowest. This shows the limits for demanding games.
'Minecraft' played much better. Frame rates were between 50 and 300 FPS. This was at 1080p resolution. It changed with graphics settings.
Games running through translation layers were less stable. These games were not made for the MacBook Air M3 OS. The YouTuber said 'Counter-Strike 2' was 'unplayable'. The indie game 'Mewgenics' ran almost perfectly. This was due to its simple 2D design and OpenGL graphics.
In short, the test showed the MacBook Air M3 can run light games well. Very demanding games need big cuts to quality. Resolution and graphics settings must be lowered.
This does not mean Macs can replace gaming laptops. Tests like this show Apple devices are getting better at games. Even affordable ones like the new MacBook Air M3.
The A18 Pro chip offers more graphics power. This is compared to normal low-cost laptop chips. This explains why some games performed better than expected.