How to play Final Fantasy XIV Online on Mac
Platforms | Computer |
Game summary
Starting development in 2005 under the codename "Rapture", FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE was announced in 2009 for Windows and the PlayStation 3.
It ran on Square Enix's Crystal Tools middleware engine, which was adjusted to suit the game's specifications. During development, the team carried over multiple aesthetic elements from FFXI while creating something that stood on its own. Due to several factors, the development was beset by problems that would later have drastic effects on the game. Attempts to bring the game to Xbox 360 consoles fell through due to disagreements with Microsoft about the use of Xbox Live.
After its alpha test and a delayed beta test, the game went live on September 30, 2010, remaining active until its servers were closed on November 11, 2012. At launch, the game received a mixed to negative reaction: while the graphics and music met with general praise, other aspects were unanimously panned, including the gameplay, interface, and the general impression of the game being unfinished at launch.
Critic and fan backlash caused Square Enix to pull subscription fees, indefinitely postpone the PlayStation 3 version, and eventually develop an entirely new version of the game called FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE: A REALM REBORN. The poor reception has had a serious impact on the FINAL FANTASY series, with both staff and company officials saying that the brand had been damaged.
First released: Sep 2010
Play Final Fantasy XIV Online on Mac with Parallels (virtualized)
The easiest way to play Final Fantasy XIV Online on a Mac is through Parallels, which allows you to virtualize a Windows machine on Macs. The setup is very easy and it works for Apple Silicon Macs as well as for older Intel-based Macs.
Parallels supports the latest version of DirectX and OpenGL, allowing you to play the latest PC games on any Mac. The latest version of DirectX is up to 20% faster.
Our favorite feature of Parallels Desktop is that when you turn off your virtual machine, all the unused disk space gets returned to your main OS, thus minimizing resource waste (which used to be a problem with virtualization).
Final Fantasy XIV Online installation steps for Mac
Step 1
Go to Parallels.com and download the latest version of the software.
Step 2
Follow the installation process and make sure you allow Parallels in your Mac’s security preferences (it will prompt you to do so).
Step 3
When prompted, download and install Windows 10. The download is around 5.7GB. Make sure you give it all the permissions that it asks for.
Step 4
Once Windows is done installing, you are ready to go. All that’s left to do is install Final Fantasy XIV Online like you would on any PC.
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