How many FPS does XCOM 2 get on the MacBook Air M1? 1080p, 1440p and 4K performance
29FPS
1080p High
Estimate
18
1440p
9
4K
About 29 FPS at 1080p on High: XCOM 2 runs through Rosetta 2 on the MacBook Air M1 (Apple M1, 7-core GPU, 8 GB). That is on the edge, but it is playable with lower settings. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Medium (about 35 FPS).
Data reviewed October 1, 2026 · how we calculate it
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XCOM 2 FPS on MacBook Air M1 by resolution and quality
Estimate| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 41FPS | 35FPS | 29FPS | 24FPS |
| 1440p | 25FPS | 22FPS | 18FPS | 15FPS |
| 4K | 13FPS | 11FPS | 9FPS | 8FPS |
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 · Medium
≈ 35 FPS
Moving to 1440p High puts the MacBook Air M1 at about 18 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 M1 enough for XCOM 2?
It falls short: 29 FPS at 1080p High. For 30 FPS use 1080p Medium.
Struggles · 1440p 18 FPS · 4K 9 FPS
MacBook Air M1 or MacBook Neo for XCOM 2?
In XCOM 2 at 1080p High, the MacBook Air M1 gets 29 FPS and the MacBook Neo 30 FPS: 3% more.
MacBook Air M1 specs
- Chip
- Apple M1
- GPU cores
- 7 / 8
- Unified memory
- 8 / 16 GB
- Cooling
- Fanless
- Geekbench Metal
- 29,497
- Tier
- Entry level · 8/100
Other Macs with the M1 chip
The Apple M1 also powers the MacBook Pro M1, the Mac mini M1, and the iMac M1. In XCOM 2, the Mac mini M1 gets 37 FPS at 1080p High, 28% more than the MacBook Air M1, 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. XCOM 2 asks for 8 GB minimum.
| Memory | 1080p High | 1440p High |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | 29FPS | 18FPS |
| 16 GB | 30FPS | 19FPS |
Other Macs for XCOM 2
1080p · High
MacBook Pro M1
M1 · 8 GPU
36FPSView analysis
iMac M1
M1 · 7/8 GPU
32FPSView analysis
Mac mini M1
M1 · 8 GPU
37FPSView analysis
MacBook Pro M1 Pro
M1 Pro · 14/16 GPU
69FPSView analysis
MacBook Air M2
M2 · 8/10 GPU
40FPSView analysisMac mini M2
M2 · 10 GPU
55FPSView analysis
Mac Studio M1 Max
M1 Max · 24/32 GPU
116FPSView analysisMacBook Pro M2
M2 · 10 GPU
54FPSView analysis
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Other games on the MacBook Air M1
- Hitman World of Assassination30FPS
- Lies of P38FPS
- GRID Legends37FPS
- Rise of the Tomb Raider34FPS
- Cities: Skylines44FPS
- Civilization VI44FPS
- Civilization VII38FPS
- Crusader Kings III44FPS
- Divinity: Original Sin 244FPS
- Final Fantasy XIV44FPS
Official Mac requirements
- Minimum
- macOS 10.13.6 · Intel Core i5 2.5 GHz or better · 8 GB memory · 1 GB GPU · 45 GB storage · Intel build, runs on Apple silicon through Rosetta 2
Source: store.steampowered.com
FAQ
Can the 8 GB MacBook Air M1 run XCOM 2?
Yes. With 8 GB we estimate 29 FPS at 1080p High.
Can XCOM 2 hit 60 FPS on the MacBook Air M1?
Not consistently. For 30 FPS, use 1080p Medium (about 35 FPS).
Does the MacBook Air M1 throttle in XCOM 2?
The MacBook Air M1 has no fan. In long sessions it lowers clocks to manage heat, and our figures already account for that sustained loss, around 10% in a game this demanding.
What about 1440p and 4K?
On High, the MacBook Air M1 gets about 18 FPS at 1440p and about 9 FPS at 4K in XCOM 2. 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. XCOM 2 has no MetalFX on Mac. Ray tracing, where a game offers it, costs a lot of FPS on any Mac.
Is XCOM 2 native on Apple Silicon?
Not quite: it has an official macOS version ported by Feral Interactive, but built for Intel. On Apple Silicon it runs through Rosetta 2, built into macOS, with nothing else to install. Our figures already include that overhead.