Steam for Mac Gains Native Apple Silicon Support Ahead of Rosetta 2 Phase-Out
- tech360.tv
- 1 minute ago
- 1 min read
Steam has launched a beta version of its Mac app with native support for Apple Silicon, eliminating the need for Rosetta 2 emulation and improving performance for users on newer Macs.
The update arrives as Apple confirmed at WWDC25 that Rosetta 2, the built-in emulator allowing Intel-based apps to run on Apple Silicon, will be phased out after macOS 27.
Apple said Rosetta 2 was designed to ease the transition to Apple Silicon and will remain available for the next two major macOS releases. After that, only limited functionality will remain to support older, unmaintained gaming titles.
Valve’s new Steam beta is a Universal app, meaning it runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. The key upgrade is the transition of the Chromium Embedded Framework from Intel-only to Apple Silicon, removing a major performance bottleneck.
Users can access the beta by opening the Steam app, selecting Steam from the menu bar, choosing Preferences, then navigating to Interface. Under Client Beta Participation, users can select Steam Beta Update, prompting a 230MB download and app restart.
Early reviews, including one by YouTuber Andrew Tsai, report faster launch times, smoother scrolling and an overall improved experience with the beta version.
Steam beta now supports Apple Silicon natively
Rosetta 2 support to end after macOS 27
Valve upgraded Chromium Embedded Framework for better performance
Source: FORBES