Overwatch runs at 60fps on the budget MacBook Neo with an iPhone chip

Tech analyst Max Weinbach posted a video of Overwatch running on Apple's new MacBook Neo, which is powered by the A18 Pro – the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. What makes the demo stand out is the stack it had to go through: x86-to-ARM emulation, Windows-to-macOS translation, and a DirectX 11-to-Metal API conversion, all handled simultaneously via CrossOver.

Despite the stutters typical of that kind of setup, the game reached a stable 60fps at medium settings. The MacBook Neo launched on March 11 with 8GB of RAM and all-day battery life, and Apple positions it primarily as a machine for students and everyday use.

Weinbach kept his reaction short: "Overwatch runs at 60fps medium settings holy crap. This is x86 to Arm emulation, Windows to macOS, and DX11 to Metal. Insane tbh". Replies piled on with similar reactions, with many pointing out that this entire compatibility stack is running on hardware designed for a smartphone.

The discussion also raised some practical questions – at 1080p the result is genuinely impressive, but opinions would be more measured if it's running below 800p. Anti-cheat was another surprise: it apparently didn't block the CrossOver launch, which caught a few people off guard. Several users noted that credit goes not just to Apple's chip, but to years of optimization work by the CrossOver team.

The whole thing reads as informal evidence that a native Overwatch port for macOS could perform considerably better. For context, one user mentioned their M2 MacBook with 16GB of RAM starts struggling with editing software and Safari open at the same time – making the A18 Pro Neo look surprisingly competitive in a gaming scenario through emulation, even against higher-spec machines.