Comparing the options
There are three routes: a native compatibility layer (the game runs right on your Mac), a virtual machine with Windows, or cloud streaming. Below is each option with its real price, pros and cons, so you can easily pick yours. Hrava takes the first route: real frames rendered on your Mac, no cloud and no separate Windows.
Short answer
If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and want to play your Steam library - a native compatibility layer gives the best balance: real frames from your Mac, no monthly fee, no internet needed to play. Hrava makes it the simplest: it picks the best settings for each game automatically. CrossOver ($54/yr) has been around longer and has a wider compatibility catalog, but it is pricier and more complex. Cloud (GeForce NOW and friends) wins if your Mac is weak OR you have great internet and don't mind paying monthly. A virtual machine (Parallels/VMware) is more for Windows work than modern games (DirectX 11 ceiling).
The essentials for your decision. Prices in USD as of June 25, 2026.
| Method | Price | Local | DirectX 12 | No Windows | No limits | Maintained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hrava | $39 one-time | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CrossOver | $54 / yr | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Whisky | free | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Parallels | $99.99 / yr + Windows | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| VMware Fusion | free + Windows | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GeForce NOW | ~$100-200 / yr | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | $22.99 / mo | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boosteroid | ~€90 / yr | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Luna | $9.99 / mo | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shadow PC | ~$456 / yr | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
"Local" = the game runs right on your Mac, no internet needed. "No Windows" = no separate Windows license required. "No limits" = no monthly hour cap. Cloud services offer DirectX 12 because the game actually runs on a real Windows PC in a data center.
Three categories
Lets the game talk to your Mac directly - it runs right on your machine. Fastest, no internet, no separate Windows. The only limitation is the strictest anti-cheat in multiplayer.
Runs a whole copy of Windows in a box. Great for work and Office, but graphics top out at DirectX 11, you need a Windows license, and everything feels a bit sluggish. Not for modern big games.
The game runs on a PC in a data center and you get a video stream. Doesn't depend on your hardware, but you need fast internet, there is input lag, a monthly fee, hour limits, and a rented library.
How to choose
You have an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer) and your own Steam library → native layer. Hrava ($39) is the simplest and cheapest; CrossOver ($54/yr) if you also need non-gaming Windows apps or Linux.
You need a full Windows for work and Office, with games as a nice bonus → Parallels or the free VMware Fusion (but no modern games).
Your Mac is weak or your internet is great and you don't mind paying monthly → cloud. GeForce NOW is the best known, but caps you at 100 hrs/mo.
You used Whisky and it stopped getting updates → a maintained native replacement that's alive.
FAQ
There are free options - Whisky (no longer updated) and VMware Fusion (a virtual machine only, no modern games). Among paid options that actually work and keep getting updates, Hrava is the cheapest at $39. CrossOver is $54/yr. Cloud starts at ~$90/yr and up, and you need internet on top of that.
Yes. A native compatibility layer (Hrava, CrossOver, Whisky) lets the game talk to your Mac directly - no separate Windows license needed. Virtual machines (Parallels, VMware), on the other hand, require an installed copy of Windows.
No - none of these methods run games with the strictest anti-cheat (EAC, Vanguard, BattlEye) in protected multiplayer. That is a limitation of macOS itself, not of any single app. Single-player games and plenty of multiplayer titles without that kind of anti-cheat work fine.
Running locally (Hrava) gives you real frames rendered on your Mac with no latency, no internet requirement and no monthly fee, but it is limited by how powerful your Mac is. Cloud does not depend on your hardware, but it needs a fast connection, adds input lag, costs a monthly fee, and often comes with hour limits and a rented library.
One payment - and your Steam library lives on your Mac forever.
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