Have you noticed that Fortnite just seems to run like hot flaming garbage on Mac? You definitely aren't alone, as the Apple crowd is the odd man out with this battle royale experience.
Oct 11, 2020 Fortnite is a Free-to-Play Battle Royale game and so much more. Hang out peacefully with friends while watching a concert or movie. Build and create your own island, or fight to be the last person standing. Download Fortnite. The #1 Battle Royale game! Squad up and compete to be the last one standing in 100 player PvP. Battle your enemies. Survive the longest. Earn you victory.
Obviously, Mac is not ideal for Fortnite or most of the games. However, there are ways that you can certainly make the experience better.
To run Fornite better on Mac, make sure you install a clean version of the game. When you play, close down all unnecessary apps and settings. Finally, to make it even smoother experience, boot your Mac in Windows and allocated additional memory to run the games.
Related:Best laptop for Fortnite
8 Tips To Run Fortnite Better On Mac
Close Background Applications
This is great advice whether you are running Fortnite on Windows, mobile, or Mac to ensure you've got the most memory and CPU cycles available for the game.
Shut down all other applications on your machine before running Fortnite, from chat programs like Discord to any other apps that may be running in the background.
Note that the Epic Games Launcher must actually be kept open at all times, as Fortnite can't open as a standalone program without that app running in the background.
Turn Off Windowed Mode
Running games in Windowed mode tends to reduce performance and really only works well for simple 2D games, as full screen mode allocates more resources to the program.
If Fortnite has been running in Windowed mode, head back to the Video tab in the Settings menu. Click the arrows on the 'Window Mode' option until you hit Fullscreen.
Reduce Audio Quality
While graphics quality plays a major role in overall performance, the sound quality can also lower your frame rate.
You can turn down the audio quality by navigating the Audio tab in the Settings menu, but that's really a last ditch effort that may cause more problems than it's worth.
The problem is that lower audio quality hobbles you somewhat and gives the advantage to other players since listening for footsteps is a big part of the overall strategy in Fortnite's battle royale mode.
Other Fortnite Mac Issues
Believe it or not, many Fortnite Mac players continue to report terrible frame rates even after going through the troubleshooting steps above.
An unlucky few also manage to get stuck in the loading screen or just get a message that says 'busy.' If you're in that camp, we've got a few more workarounds to try out before giving up.
Reinstall Fortnite
For the infinite loading problem in particular, players have reported success by uninstalling and then reinstalling both the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite. It's a long process, but worth a shot if it fixes the issue.
Allocate More Memory To Fortnite
Some versions of the Mac OS give the option to manually allocate additional memory to a program like Fortnite. To do this, close Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher, then highlight the Epic Games Launcher icon.
In the File menu, go to Get Info and then select Memory. From there, you can type your maximum amount of RAM in the Preferred Size field and then re-launch Fortnite.
.Fortnite's game engine accepts certain command lines that let you take more advantage of hardware like your CPU …
Change Command Line Arguments
Fortnite's game engine accepts certain command lines that let you take more advantage of hardware like your CPU. To go about this process, first fuily close out both Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher.
Choose the gear symbol by the launch option for the Epic Games Launcher and then navigate to Settings. In the Additional Command Line Arguments box, type the phrase '-useallavaliblecores' (without the quotation marks).
From there, close the box, then re-open the Epic Games Launcher and try running Fortnite again to force the program to use all CPU cores at once.
Dual Boot To Windows
If all of the above troubleshooting failed for you, there is another option you might not have considered — install Windows 10 on your Mac.
This is a big, drastic step that obviously won't work well on older Mac models that don't have the specs to fully take advantage of Windows 10, but is an option worth trying when all else fails.
Apple has a full, step-by-step rundown on how to partition your hard drive, create a Windows boot image, and setup a dual boot system using the Boot Camp Assistant. You can find the full support page right here.
After Windows is installed, just restart your Mac and you can choose whether to boot to Windows or to the MacOS.
Once you've Windows up and running, head back to the Epic Games website and download the Windows version of the launcher.
Want to just switch to a Windows machine altogether? Fortnite's system requirements on Windows aren't that high, so you can get a relatively cheap secondary laptop to run the game.
In particular, we recommend you look at any of our budget gaming laptop choices here.
Try Fortnite On Another Platform
Still can't get the game to run at a decent frame rate no matter what you try? Don't forget that Fortnite is also available on Android and iOS devices, so it may just be easier to download the mobile version instead.
While there are in-game purchase options, Fortnite is also completely free to download and play on the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PS4 for any console owners out there. If Mac isn't your only available option, we strongly recommend playing on another platform.
How To Download & Install Fortnite On Mac
With the exception of consoles and iOS mobile devices, Epic Games directly handles the Fortnite download and installation process through their website.
Make absolutely sure to only go through the official Epic Games site here to download the installer! There are unscrupulous sites that try to look like the official Fortnite page but are littered with malware ads.
After downloading the installer, make sure your Mac actually meets the minimum system requirements to run Fortnite:
- Intel Iris Pro 5200 or better
- Core i3 2.4 Ghz CPU
- 4GB of RAM
- Mac OSX Sierra (10.12.6+)
Source: Dotesports
Beyond those hardware requirements, it's important to note that Fortnite is only supported on Mac computers capable of utilizing the Metal API.
The general rule of thumb is that MacBooks released in 2015 or MacBook Air or Pro models released in 2012 or later should run the Metal API. Not sure if your Mac supports that particular graphics technology? You can find out for sure via Apple's support page here.
Best Settings For Fortnite On Mac
Even if you meet the minimum requirements, you may still not get a satisfying gameplay experience.
Sound may lag, making you think gunshots are coming from a different direction, or you may be very noticeable visual stutters — which is a death sentence in a fast paced battle royale game.
If you have either of those problems, your best bet is set the overall graphics quality to 'Low' by accessing the Settings screen and then choosing the Video tab.
You may find that reduces the graphics to a level that aren't really worth playing, however. In that case, you can manually change each of these settings to Low one by one until you hit a stable frame rate:
- View Distance
- Shadows
- Anti-Aliasing
- Textures
- Effects
- Post Processing
For the best overall Fortnite performance settings, be sure to also set these two options to 'OFF' in the Video tab:
- Vsync
- Motion Blur
.you still get significant lag even after reducing all the main graphics options, there are a few other tweaks to get better performance on a Mac.
Unfortunately, you may still get significant lag even after reducing all the main graphics options, but don't worry — there are a few other tweaks to get better performance on a Mac.
how to increase fps in fortnite On Mac
While Fortnite was obviously originally intended for Windows and console environments, Mac users aren't left totally in the lurch. With a little effort, you can get maximum FPS by utilizing any of these methods:
- Double-check that you meet minimum system requirements
- Close all background apps
- Anti-Aliasing
- Switch from Windowed to Fullscreen mode
- Turn down graphic settings
- Turn down audio settings
- Reinstall Fortnite entirely
- Allocate more memory to Fortnite
- Dual boot to Windows
Have you found any other troubleshooting methods to get a better Fortnite experience on Mac? Let us know in the comments below and we'll test out your tip!
Related Posts
Learn How to Download and Play Fortnite on a Macbook. Fortnite is one of the most popular multiplayer games of all time. After Fortnite, a lot of Battle royale concept kinds of games started releasing but no one had beaten the Fortnite's popularity which is increasing as time is passing.
Downloading and Playing Fortnite is simple and easy on iOS devices and a bit complicated for android, Windows and Macs. In iOS devices, you can directly download the Fortnite from App Store while it is not released on Google Play Store for Android devices and for Windows and Mac you need to visit the official website of 'Epic Games'. This article will tell you how you can download the Fortnite game on your Macbook. In addition to that, the minimum MacBook requirements are also mentioned for you.
Fortnite is a quite heavy game for a MacBook or a normal laptop to run, that's why you need to match the minimum specs for your MacBook to be able to get a decent performance while playing Fortnite on your MacBook.
And you know that how much battery fortnite consumes, so here are some tips about how to save battery while playing fortnite. Click on the linked text present a line above.
We have listed the minimum specs which are needed to at least run Fortnite on a MacBook, and also have mentioned the recommended specs to get a great experience while playing Fortnite on your Macbook.
Along with that, we have given some tips which can be helpful to run Fortnite smoothly on your MacBook.
Let's have a look at the minimum specs that need to play fortnite on a MacBook.
Minimum Specs to play Fortnite on Macbook
- 4GB RAM
- Intel HD 4000 GPU
- macOS Sierra or Later
- Intel Core i3 2.4GHz
Above mentioned specs are minimum requirements, if your MacBook is better than the given requirements then it is great.
Now if you are looking for the recommended specs then they are mentioned after the following steps of downloading Fortnite on a MacBook.
How to install Fortnite on your Macbook
Below are the steps which you need to follow to download Fortnite on your Macbook. And don't forget to have a look at the recommended specs to get the smoothest experience in playing fortnite on a MacBook.
1. Go to the Official site of Epic games, or you can click on the linked text present above.
2. You will see options such as on which platform you want to play fortnite, 'Xbox, PS4 or Mac and windows', you need to select 'Mac'.
3. Now the Epic Games launcher will start downloading on your Macbook.
4. How does a macbook work. After the installation of the launcher open it up and follow the on-screen instructions to download 'Fortnite'.
5. When the Fortnite is downloaded then you can log in with your Epic Games account if you have or can create a new account.
Related:- Apple Arcade Multiplayer Games to play on Mac
In this way, Fortnite can be downloaded on any MacBook.
Now you need to know what are the recommended specs which will give maximum Fortnite performance.
Recommended Specs to get best Gaming Experience
- 8GB of Ram
- AMD Radeon HD 7870 (equivalent DX11 GPU)
- 2GB VRAM
- macOS High Sierra or Later
- Core i5 3.5GHz processor
If you want to get the best gaming experience in Fortnite then the above-given specs are what you need in your Macbook.
Wanna Know how to get free V-Bucks in Fortnite? Check our article about that by clicking on the linked text present a line above.
A lot of people ask that which Macbook is best for playing fortnite, Macbook Air or Macbook Pro, this question is also answered here.
Macbook Air or Macbook Pro which is best for Fortnite?
It doesn't depend on which Macbook model do you have, it depends on the how much Ram your MacBook have and which processor it has.
Overall the Macbook pro variants come with the heavy processors which are able to handle the burden of the games like fortnite. And the Macbook Pro doesn't get heat up as fast does MacBook air.
Macbook Air 13 Inch
That's why Macbook Pro is recommended, although MacBook air can also be good with the recommended specs and a heavy processor.
Still there js a question which keeps coming to the minds of a lot of people and that is which is better for gaming iMac or a Macbook? This question is also answered in a simple way as follows.
Which is better for Fortnite iMac or Macbook?
This is also a very debatable question but iMacs are better because a lot of technology cannot be set into a MacBook but in a PC or an iMac where Monitor is different, CPU is different then the performance can be absolutely seen better in iMac.
And the iMac Pro is the best iMac for gaming as you know that the whole iMac pro, it's monitor and CPU are made for gamers.
Related:- Best Apple Arcade Games of all time
If you want to game then you should go for an iMac with the maximum available specs and Macbook can also be still good, but the Macbooks become hot while playing hardcore games on them. While the same issue is less seen with iMacs or Computers.
Tips to run Fortnite Smoothly
Decrease the Display Resolution:- You can adjust the display resolution in the Fortnite. Just go to the Settings of the Fortnite and decrease the Display resolution. If you have a MacBook then you need to do so because it will prevent your MacBook to become as hot as fire. Yeah, it will prevent your MacBook from heating up and will also make fortnite run smoothly, although the graphics will not be best, will still in good condition.
Change Quality:- You can even change the overall game quality which may contain the textures, 3D effects, etc. things. If you have the minimum specs then change all these settings to 'Low', or you can select 'auto' settings which will automatically be adjusted according to your Macbook's processor and RAM.
Related:- How to use incognito mode in Safari Browser
These were the tips that you can follow and will help you to run Fortnite smoothly on your MacBook.
That's the end of this article, Now you know how to download Fortnite on a Macbook. You also know the minimum and recommended specs for playing fortnite on a MacBook.
Additionally, you also now know which is best for gaming or Fortnite, a MacBook or iMac.
If you liked this article then don't forget to share this on Social Media!
Fortnite Macbook Air Download Free
And keep using our site to know about more How-To guides like this one.
You might like to know:-