Apple doesn't have much of a computer gaming reputation in comparison to its rival, Microsoft. However, that could finally change with the introduction of its latest tool: the Game Porting Toolkit. At the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), the company announced its latest product as a way to test Windows games on a Mac before investing in a fully functional port.

　　“The new Game Porting Toolkit provides an emulation environment to run your existing unmodified Windows game and you can use it to quickly understand the graphics feature usage and performance potential of your game when running on a Mac,” said Apple representative Aiswariya Sreenivassan in a WWDC video.

　　The Game Porting Toolkit works similarly to the software Valve uses to run Windows games on its Steam Deck. It uses a Proton-like environment to translate Windows games on to macOS so that developers can decide how feasible it would be to invest in a Linux or Steam Deck port. Proton, a tool for testing Windows games on Linux and Steam Deck, scores compatibility between the different devices to help with that decision.

　　The Game Porting Toolkit creates Mac ports from Windows games. However, the ports aren't meant to be finished products. They just allow developers to directly translate Windows games to macOS so that they could decide whether or not they think investing in a polished port is worth it. The ported version from the toolkit should still have many inadequacies that it wouldn't have in an ideal product.

　　You can download the Game Porting Toolkit now if you're part of the Apple Developer Program. One developer points out that you can download the toolkit from the sign-in page. Alternatively, you can try your luck with workarounds like Github. As seen on Reddit, some fans have already tested the Game Porting Toolkit with games like Cyberpunk 2077, Diablo IV, and Hogwarts Legacy.

　　These ports aren't perfect, but they could be the start of a new era of Mac gaming if they lead to better products.