How many FPS does Cyberpunk 2077 get on the MacBook Air M3? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance
13FPS
1080p High
Estimate
8
1440p
4
4K
About 13 FPS at 1080p on High: Cyberpunk 2077 runs natively on the MacBook Air M3 (Apple M3, 8-core GPU, 16 GB). That is not smooth, but it is playable with lower settings. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low + MetalFX Performance (about 31 FPS).
Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it
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Cyberpunk 2077 FPS on MacBook Air M3 by resolution and quality
Estimate| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 18FPS | 15FPS | 13FPS | 11FPS |
| 1440p | 11FPS | 10FPS | 8FPS | 7FPS |
| 4K | 6FPS | 5FPS | 4FPS | 3FPS |
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
Not reached even on Low at 1080p, nor with MetalFX.
For 30 FPS
1080p · Low
+ MetalFX Performance
≈ 31 FPS
Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M3 at about 8 FPS. MetalFX renders at a lower resolution and upscales, so it is the cheapest way to play at the display’s native resolution.
Performance with MetalFX
MetalFX renders Cyberpunk 2077 at a lower internal resolution and reconstructs the image: you gain FPS for a little sharpness. Figures on High with 16 GB.
| Resolution | Native | Quality | Balanced | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 13FPS | 16FPS | 19FPS | 22FPS |
| 1440p | 8FPS | 10FPS | 12FPS | 14FPS |
| 4K | 4FPS | 5FPS | 6FPS | 7FPS |
All figures are without ray tracing. The real MetalFX gain varies by game and version.
The MacGameFPS verdict
Calibrated on real Mac benchmarks, not spec sheets
Is the MacBook Air M3 enough for Cyberpunk 2077?
No: at 13 FPS on 1080p High it is not playable. It only reaches 30 FPS with 1080p Low + MetalFX Performance.
Too slow · 1440p 8 FPS · 4K 4 FPS
MacBook Air M3 or MacBook Air M4 for Cyberpunk 2077?
In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M3 gets 13 FPS and the MacBook Air M4 15 FPS: 15% more.
MacBook Air M3 specs
- Chip
- Apple M3
- GPU cores
- 8 / 10
- Unified memory
- 8 / 16 / 24 GB
- Cooling
- Fanless
- Geekbench Metal
- 41,753
- Tier
- Entry level · 11/100
Other Macs with the M3 chip
The Apple M3 also powers the MacBook Pro M3 and the iMac M3. In Cyberpunk 2077, the MacBook Pro M3 gets 19 FPS at 1080p High, 46% more than the MacBook Air M3, 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. Cyberpunk 2077 asks for 16 GB minimum.
| Memory | 1080p High | 1440p High |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | Won't run | Won't run |
| 16 GB | 13FPS | 8FPS |
| 24 GB | 14FPS | 9FPS |
Published measurements
- Measured32 FPS1080p · Medium · MetalFX Balanced · MacBook Air M3Tom's Hardware
- Measured21 FPS1080p · Ultra · MetalFX Balanced · MacBook Air M3Tom's Hardware
- Measured16 FPS1440p · Medium · MetalFX Balanced · MacBook Air M3Tom's Hardware
- Measured12 FPS1440p · Ultra · MetalFX Balanced · MacBook Air M3Tom's Hardware
Other Macs for Cyberpunk 2077
1080p · High
MacBook Pro M3
M3 · 10 GPU
19FPSView analysis
iMac M3
M3 · 8/10 GPU
16FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M3 Pro
M3 Pro · 14/18 GPU
28FPSView analysis
MacBook Neo
A18 Pro · 5 GPU
Won't runView analysisMacBook Air M4
M4 · 8/10 GPU
15FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M4
M4 · 10 GPU
23FPSView analysis
Mac mini M4
M4 · 10 GPU
24FPSView analysisiMac M4
M4 · 8/10 GPU
19FPSView analysis
Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →
Other games on the MacBook Air M3
- Death Stranding Director's Cut38FPS
- Hitman World of Assassination43FPS
- Lies of P56FPS
- Metro Exodus33FPS
- Frostpunk 242FPS
- GRID Legends54FPS
- No Man's Sky42FPS
- Resident Evil 242FPS
- Resident Evil 332FPS
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard42FPS
Official Mac requirements
- Minimum
- macOS 15.5 or later · Apple M1 · 16 GB memory · 92 GB storage
- Recommended
- macOS 15.5 or later · Apple M3 Pro · 18 GB memory · 92 GB storage
Source: store.steampowered.com
FAQ
Can the 8 GB MacBook Air M3 run Cyberpunk 2077?
Not with 8 GB: the game asks for 16 GB. You need the 16 GB configuration.
Can Cyberpunk 2077 hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M3?
Not consistently. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low + MetalFX Performance (about 31 FPS).
Does the MacBook Air M3 throttle in Cyberpunk 2077?
The MacBook Air M3 has no fan. In long sessions it lowers clocks to manage heat, and our figures already account for that sustained loss, around 20% in a game this demanding.
What about 1440p and 4K?
On High, the MacBook Air M3 gets about 8 FPS at 1440p and about 4 FPS at 4K in Cyberpunk 2077. These are native figures: MetalFX raises both noticeably.
Do these figures include MetalFX or ray tracing?
No. The headline figure is native resolution, no MetalFX and no ray tracing. The table below shows MetalFX turned on. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 native on Apple Silicon?
Yes, it has a native Apple Silicon version, available on Steam and the Mac App Store. No CrossOver, Parallels or Game Porting Toolkit needed.