How many FPS does Total War: PHARAOH get on the MacBook Air M4? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance
23FPS
1080p High
Estimate
14
1440p
7
4K
About 23 FPS at 1080p on High: Total War: PHARAOH runs natively on the MacBook Air M4 (Apple M4, 8-core GPU, 16 GB). That is on the edge, but it is playable with lower settings. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low (about 32 FPS).
Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it
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Total War: PHARAOH FPS on MacBook Air M4 by resolution and quality
Estimate| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 32FPS | 27FPS | 23FPS | 19FPS |
| 1440p | 20FPS | 17FPS | 14FPS | 12FPS |
| 4K | 10FPS | 9FPS | 7FPS | 6FPS |
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
≈ 32 FPS
Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M4 at about 14 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 M4 enough for Total War: PHARAOH?
It falls short: 23 FPS at 1080p High. For 30 FPS use 1080p Low.
Struggles · 1440p 14 FPS · 4K 7 FPS
MacBook Air M4 or MacBook Pro M4 for Total War: PHARAOH?
In Total War: PHARAOH at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M4 gets 23 FPS and the MacBook Pro M4 32 FPS: 39% more.
MacBook Air M4 specs
- Chip
- Apple M4
- GPU cores
- 8 / 10
- Unified memory
- 16 / 24 / 32 GB
- Cooling
- Fanless
- Geekbench Metal
- 49,002
- Tier
- Entry level · 13/100
Other Macs with the M4 chip
The Apple M4 also powers the MacBook Pro M4, the Mac mini M4, and the iMac M4. In Total War: PHARAOH, the Mac mini M4 gets 33 FPS at 1080p High, 43% more than the MacBook Air M4, 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. Total War: PHARAOH asks for 8 GB minimum.
| Memory | 1080p High | 1440p High |
|---|---|---|
| 16 GB | 23FPS | 14FPS |
| 24 GB | 23FPS | 14FPS |
| 32 GB | 23FPS | 14FPS |
Other Macs for Total War: PHARAOH
1080p · High
MacBook Neo
A18 Pro · 5 GPU
13FPSView analysis
MacBook Pro M4
M4 · 10 GPU
32FPSView analysis
Mac mini M4
M4 · 10 GPU
33FPSView analysis
iMac M4
M4 · 8/10 GPU
27FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M4 Pro
M4 Pro · 16/20 GPU
53FPSView analysisMac mini M4 Pro
M4 Pro · 16/20 GPU
55FPSView analysisMacBook Air M5
M5 · 8/10 GPU
31FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M5
M5 · 10 GPU
44FPSView analysis
Total War: PHARAOH on every Mac →
Shopping for an all-round gaming Mac? Mac ranking by real FPS →
Other games on the MacBook Air M4
- Death Stranding Director's Cut48FPS
- Hitman World of Assassination52FPS
- Lies of P70FPS
- Metro Exodus40FPS
- Resident Evil 435FPS
- Resident Evil Village36FPS
- Frostpunk 252FPS
- GRID Legends67FPS
- No Man's Sky52FPS
- Resident Evil 252FPS
Official Mac requirements
- Minimum
- macOS 13.4 · Apple M1 (8-core CPU, 7-core GPU) or better · 8 GB memory · 50 GB storage
Source: store.steampowered.com
FAQ
Can the 16 GB MacBook Air M4 run Total War: PHARAOH?
Yes. With 16 GB we estimate 23 FPS at 1080p High.
Can Total War: PHARAOH hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M4?
Not consistently. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Low (about 32 FPS).
Does the MacBook Air M4 throttle in Total War: PHARAOH?
The MacBook Air M4 has no fan. In long sessions it lowers clocks to manage heat, and our figures already account for that sustained loss, around 15% in a game this demanding.
What about 1440p and 4K?
On High, the MacBook Air M4 gets about 14 FPS at 1440p and about 7 FPS at 4K in Total War: PHARAOH. 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. Total War: PHARAOH has no MetalFX on Mac. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.
Is Total War: PHARAOH native on Apple Silicon?
Yes, it has a native Apple Silicon version ported by Feral Interactive, available on Steam. No CrossOver, Parallels or Game Porting Toolkit needed.