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Steam is the center of the universe for gamers all over the world. It is a program that acts as both an online marketplace and a launchpad for almost all games available. It’s a great program, and it’s not only for PC!
Thankfully, recently there is now a way to install Steam on Mac – only it’s a little less straightforward than the Windows OS version.
If you’re trying to work out the best way to Download Steam Games on Mac, you’ve come to the right place! In the article below, we’re going to take you through a short guide on how to do this, as well as a short FAQ section that will help answer any additional questions you might have on this issue.
Let’s get into it!
How Does Steam Work On Mac?
Before we dive in today, let’s consider how Steam works on a Mac! Are there any differences between Steam on Windows and Steam on a Mac? The good news is there aren’t all that many! With that said, there are some slight differences when it comes to downloading games on your Mac.
First off, if you want to play Steam games on a Mac, you’ll need to have a copy of macOS installed. This includes versions 10.9 Mavericks or later, 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.7 Lion, and 10.6 Snow Leopard or earlier.
You can check which version of macOS you currently have by opening up System Preferences and looking at the About This Mac menu item. If you don’t have a compatible version of macOS, you won’t be able to use Steam on your Mac.
Once you’ve got macOS installed, you’ll also need to make sure that you’ve got the latest version of Xcode installed (which should already be included with the operating system). This is because Steam requires access to the developer tools to work properly.
Finally, you’ll need to make sure that Steam has been updated to the latest version. To complete this, open up Steam, click on Help, then select Check For Updates from the drop-down menu.
Once you’ve done all of these things, you should be ready to start installing Steam on your Mac!
How To Install Steam On Mac?
This is the first step – you’re going to need to install Steam on your Mac! Thankfully, this process isn’t all that difficult. The steps are as follows:
Step
Launching the App Store
Open the App Store on your Mac.
Step
Search for Steam
Navigate towards the top of the screen, click on the search bar. Type “Steam” and press search.
Step
Installing Games
Click on the “Install” Button Next to the Game you Want to Play
Step
Open up the Steam Client
Wait for the Installation to Complete.
Once done, Click on the Icon that Appears in the Dock (the Bottom-Left Corner).
This will Open up the Steam Client.
How To Download A Steam Game Onto Your Mac
Next up, we’re going to want to download one of the games you have in your library onto your Mac.
For this, you’ll need to follow these simple steps:
Step
Open the Steam Client from Step 4 Above
Step
Select “Games”
Step
Browse Steam’s Library
Look through the different game categories on Steam.
Step
Downloading Games
Click on the “Download” button next to the title you’d like to download.
Or Press Command + D if using a Keyboard with a Dedicated Key for this.
Step
Choose where to save
You can either choose to download it directly to your desktop or another location on your computer.
Step
Press the “Start Download” Button
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If My Mac Has Enough RAM To Run Steam?
While most people don’t think much about their computer’s memory these days, having too little or too much can cause problems with running programs such as Steam. Fortunately, there is no minimum amount of RAM required to run Steam.
However, if you intend to use your Mac as a gaming machine, you’ll probably want to make sure it has at least 8 GB of RAM installed. For more info on what RAM is needed, see our post on the subject here.
What Happens When I Try To Install Steam On My Mac?
Two main issues can arise when attempting to install Steam on your MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Mini. First off, you may encounter an error message saying something along the lines of “Your Mac does not meet the requirements to run Steam.”
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that your Mac won’t be able to run Steam, it could indicate that you need to update some software on your Mac before trying again. Secondly, you may get an error message saying that Steam needs to restart your Mac. In both cases, simply close out the Steam application and try again.
If neither of those errors happens, it means that your Mac is capable of running Steam, but you just need to make sure that everything else is set up correctly.
You will want to revisit the previous steps to ensure it is installed correctly or turn your attention to our other guides or tutorials that can help you troubleshoot this issue further.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, how you can install and use Steam on your Mac with ease! Be sure to follow our instructions set out earlier to ensure that you install Steam correctly, after all, you don’t want to be slowed down when trying to play your favorite game!
Before you leave us today, check out our small FAQ section below that can help you with any other questions you may have.
