How many FPS does Civilization VII get on the MacBook Air M2? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance
53FPS
1080p High
Estimate
33
1440p
17
4K
About 53 FPS at 1080p on High: Civilization VII runs natively on the MacBook Air M2 (Apple M2, 8-core GPU, 8 GB). It plays smoothly.
Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it
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Civilization VII FPS on MacBook Air M2 by resolution and quality
Estimate| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 74FPS | 64FPS | 53FPS | 44FPS |
| 1440p | 46FPS | 40FPS | 33FPS | 27FPS |
| 4K | 24FPS | 20FPS | 17FPS | 14FPS |
Estimated average in normal gameplay with the game and macOS up to date. Green: 60+ · lime: 45+ · amber: 30+ · orange: 20+ · red: under 20.
Recommended settings
For 60 FPS
1080p · Medium
≈ 64 FPS
For 30 FPS
1440p · High
≈ 33 FPS
Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M2 at about 33 FPS. This game has no MetalFX, so resolution is the setting that matters most.
The MacGameFPS verdict
Calibrated on real Mac benchmarks, not spec sheets
Is the MacBook Air M2 enough for Civilization VII?
Yes: 53 FPS at 1080p High is smooth. At 1440p it drops to 33 FPS.
Smooth · 1440p 33 FPS · 4K 17 FPS
MacBook Air M2 or MacBook Air M3 for Civilization VII?
In Civilization VII at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M2 gets 53 FPS and the MacBook Air M3 56 FPS: 6% more.
MacBook Air M2 specs
- Chip
- Apple M2
- GPU cores
- 8 / 10
- Unified memory
- 8 / 16 / 24 GB
- Cooling
- Fanless
- Geekbench Metal
- 39,429
- Tier
- Entry level · 11/100
Other Macs with the M2 chip
The Apple M2 also powers the MacBook Pro M2 and the Mac mini M2. In Civilization VII, the Mac mini M2 gets 69 FPS at 1080p High, 30% more than the MacBook Air M2, mainly because its fan keeps clocks up under load.
How much memory do you need?
On Apple Silicon the GPU shares memory with the system, so the RAM you picked when buying the Mac is also your video memory. Civilization VII asks for 8 GB minimum.
| Memory | 1080p High | 1440p High |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | 53FPS | 33FPS |
| 16 GB | 53FPS | 33FPS |
| 24 GB | 53FPS | 33FPS |
Other Macs for Civilization VII
1080p · High
Mac mini M2
M2 · 10 GPU
69FPSView analysis
MacBook Pro M2
M2 · 10 GPU
68FPSView analysisMac mini M2 Pro
M2 Pro · 16/19 GPU
105FPSView analysis
MacBook Pro M2 Pro
M2 Pro · 16/19 GPU
104FPSView analysisMacBook Air M3
M3 · 8/10 GPU
56FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M1
M1 · 8 GPU
45FPSView analysis
MacBook Air M1
M1 · 7/8 GPU
38FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M2 Max
M2 Max · 30/38 GPU
155FPSView analysis
Civilization VII on every Mac →
Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →
Other games on the MacBook Air M2
- Death Stranding Director's Cut35FPS
- Hitman World of Assassination41FPS
- Lies of P52FPS
- Metro Exodus31FPS
- Frostpunk 240FPS
- GRID Legends51FPS
- No Man's Sky40FPS
- Resident Evil 240FPS
- Resident Evil 330FPS
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard40FPS
Official Mac requirements
- Minimum
- macOS Sequoia · Apple M1 (8-core) · 8 GB memory · 25 GB storage
- Recommended
- macOS Sequoia · Apple M2 Pro (10-core) · 16 GB memory · 25 GB storage
Source: store.steampowered.com
FAQ
Can the 8 GB MacBook Air M2 run Civilization VII?
Yes. With 8 GB we estimate 53 FPS at 1080p High.
Can Civilization VII hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M2?
Yes: at 1080p Medium it runs around 64 FPS.
Does the MacBook Air M2 throttle in Civilization VII?
The MacBook Air M2 has no fan. In long sessions it lowers clocks to manage heat, and our figures already account for that sustained loss, around 5% in a game this demanding.
What about 1440p and 4K?
On High, the MacBook Air M2 gets about 33 FPS at 1440p and about 17 FPS at 4K in Civilization VII. These are native figures.
Do these figures include MetalFX or ray tracing?
No. The headline figure is native resolution, no MetalFX and no ray tracing. Civilization VII has no MetalFX on Mac. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.
Is Civilization VII native on Apple Silicon?
Yes, it has a native Apple Silicon version, available on Steam. No CrossOver, Parallels or Game Porting Toolkit needed.