Apple didn’t position its cheapest MacBook as a gaming device. The MacBook Neo, a budget laptop that runs on Apple’s A18 Pro chip, the same chip that powers the iPhone 16 Pro models, underwent a Windows 11 gaming test for YouTuber ETA Prime.
It turns out that the results are really surprising. Using Parallels Desktop, a virtualization app (paid) with 3D hardware acceleration, the channel ran Windows 11 ARM directly onto the Neo’s 8GB of RAM (allocating 5GB to the virtual environment) and it ran better than most people would think.
Which games actually ran well?
Dirt 3 maintained 75 fps at 1200p on high settings while Portal 2 Managed 100 fps at medium settings. Skyrim, on the other hand, maintained around 60 fps at 1200p resolution on medium graphics settings Marvel Cosmic Invasion averages around 60 fps at maximum resolution.
What boosted performance were games running as native Windows-on-ARM applications. However, GTA V was one of the notable stumbling blocks, as the frame rates were not at all playable through the Parelles. However, according to the notebook check, The game runs acceptably across crossovers.
Why does this matter to everyday MacBook Neo users?
For users who work on their Mac but occasionally enjoy playing Windows-only games, the MacBook Neo’s ability to run native titles via the Parallels app is good news. The costs? The standard plan of Parallels Desktop costs $99.99 per year, which could enrich your weekend leisure sessions.
The bigger advantage, however, is that even with 8GB of RAM (highlighted as a limitation in the video), the MacBook Neo can run low- to mid-range Windows games. It also changes the notion that budget Apple hardware is primarily intended for productivity-based tasks.
As virtualization technology continues to improve and Apple provides more RAM in future generations of MacBook Neo, this could redefine what “budget” actually means to Apple buyers and close the gap between MacBook and Windows laptops even further.
