Even a decade since GTA 5 was released, it’s still as popular as ever, and since Apple’s MacBooks are now more powerful than ever, people often wonder if it’s possible to play GTA 5 on them. One limitation is hard drive space since many MacBooks don’t have much capacity. So, can you install GTA 5 on an external hard disk and play it on your MacBook?
You can play GTA 5 on a MacBook after installing it on an external hard disk. However, it might perform slower than on an internal drive, and you have to be sure that your MacBook supports GTA 5 since it doesn’t run natively on macOS. You have to run Windows on your MacBook in some way.
It’s a pity that more game developers don’t support Apple’s MacBooks since they really are powerful machines. However, if you keep a few things in mind, you can play GTA 5 on your MacBook from an external hard drive, so let’s see how you can do that and what the limitations are.
Is it possible to play GTA 5 on MacBook?
You Can’t Run GTA 5 Natively On macOS
Unfortunately, very few game developers support macOS, and Rockstar Games does not. It’s not a limitation with macOS in particular, but game development companies prefer to develop games with DirectX in mind, which is a Windows platform that doesn’t work on Mac.
This means you will have to run Windows on your MacBook before installing or running GTA 5. There are two ways to do this:
1. Install Windows Using Bootcamp
Apple’s macOS comes with a platform called Bootcamp which allows you to install Windows natively and dual-boot to it, so when you want to play GTA 5, you can reboot your MacBook into Windows.
The negative side to this is that Bootcamp only works with MacBooks that run on Intel processors. The newer Apple Silicon (M1 and later) processors don’t natively support Windows, so MacBooks running Apple Silicon processors (models released in 2020 or later) won’t be able to dual boot into Windows; at least, not at present.
2. Virtualization Or Emulation Software
You can run a virtual copy of Windows inside macOS or use emulation software to simulate a Windows environment. A popular way to do this is through a platform called Parallels, which is not free but can run many games (including GTA 5) in a virtual Windows environment on your MacBook.
The Parallels software is quite expensive, but it’s one of the most reliable options. Others, like Wine and Crossover, will also work with GTA 5. Some platforms are free, but generally speaking, free options are more challenging to configure and don’t always work as well as you would like them to. GTA 5 is quite demanding on your system resources, so you need the best platform you can get.
An External Hard Drive Can Be Slow
External hard disks usually connect through USB. Modern USB versions, like USB 3.0, are fast, (Related article: usb 3.0 vs sata speed) so if your MacBook and external hard disk both support this standard, it should be fine, but any older versions will be slower than an internal hard drive, which could lead to in-game stuttering and poor performance.
How To Install GTA 5 On An External Hard Disk On Your Mac
Once you’re running Windows on your MacBook in some form, it’s easy enough to install and run GTA 5 from an external hard drive.
- Connect your external hard drive to the MacBook’s USB port. Ensure it has enough free space (at least 72GB).
- Start the GTA 5 installation.
- When prompted where you want to install it, click on “Browse.”
- Point the installer to your external hard drive and click “Continue.”
Now you will have GTA 5 installed on an external hard drive and running on your MacBook.
Conclusion
Even though GTA 5 doesn’t support macOS, it is possible to run GTA 5 on a MacBook if you manage to run Windows on it, either through Bootcamp or a virtual option. You can even install GTA 5 on an external hard drive, but note that it might run more slowly than on an internal hard drive.
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