Apple’s next-gen M4 Macs look set to embrace serious gaming

Apple’s Mac machines and gaming don’t quite fit in the same equation, even though the recent trajectory of its Metal architecture has pulled off a few surprises. But it looks like the upcoming M4-tier machines won’t pull any punches, including the Mac mini.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes that for the first time, Apple’s entry-level desktop computer will offer ray-tracing support. For the unaware, it’s a lighting system that adds a whole new level of visual realism to games.

On the flip side, ray tracing is also quite taxing on the local hardware, and needs a capable CPU as well as GPU to deliver the desired results in AAA games. Or to put it in simpler terms, you need a discrete GPU on a computing platform to achieve a meaningful ray-tracing output for shadows and reflections.

Ever since Apple shifted to the M-series silicon, the doors for a discrete GPU have been closed to the Mac lineup. Apple looks set to make a shift, and it could happen starting next week as the new slate of M4-powered Macs is announced.

The M4 Mac mini will be more compact, and could get more ports, as well. Digital Trends

Now, adding support for ray-tracing would automatically get any gaming enthusiast excited. But the challenge ahead would still be monumental, because all that firepower would be wasted if there simply aren’t enough games to play.

“That should be a boon for gamers, especially if Apple ever gets the Mac’s gaming library into better shape,” notes Bloomberg. Over the past couple of years, Apple has convinced a few heavy hitters to bring titles such as “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” “Death Stranding Director’s Cut,” and “Resident Evil” series games to the Mac.

While those attempts are commendable, they are nowhere near the diversity offered by the likes of Steam for Windows. Plus, games ported for Metal architecture haven’t quite reached the same performance benchmarks as those built natively for the x86 platforms.

But hey, we can always hold on to dear hope!

In addition to the Mac Mini, Apple is also expected to serve ray-tracing on the M4-based versions of the Mac Studio and Mac Pro next year. However, the situation for the Mac mini is rather curious.

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Apple is expected to launch a redesigned Mac mini next week, one that will offer a smaller footprint and a revised port layout. How Apple juggles the thermal headroom inside a cramped chassis, while also delivering the perks of ray-tracing, would be interesting to see.

The company is further expected to shed some of its stingy RAM approach this time. “For the first time, Apple is also likely to start shipping at least some low-end Macs with 16 gigabytes of memory at minimum,” says the Bloomberg report.

Apple is also rumored to fit only the higher-end configuration of the M4 silicon inside its upcoming Mac lineup, eschewing the version with nine CPU cores and using only the trim with ten CPU cores.

As for the rest of the hardware, leaks suggest the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops will rock a familiar design. Moreover, we’re not expecting any aesthetic fireworks for the refreshed iMac, either.