How to play Spyro the Dragon on Mac

Game summary

Spyro the Dragon is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation. It stars the title character, a young purple dragon named Spyro and his dragonfly friend, Sparx, and is the first game in the Spyro the Dragon series. The first game was massively popular at its initial release and Spyro would later become one of the most recognizable, popular and respected gaming icons for the PlayStation gaming console. Spyro's best friend, Sparx the dragonfly, acts like the player's health meter and assists in gathering gems. The various dragons Spyro unfreezes along the way are also key characters in Spyro's progression through the game. Gnasty Gnorc is the main antagonist, who froze all the dragons of the land in crystal.
First released: Sep 1998

Play Spyro the Dragon on Mac with Parallels (virtualized)

The easiest way to play Spyro the Dragon 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).

Spyro the Dragon 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 Spyro the Dragon like you would on any PC.
Did it work?
Help us improve our guide by letting us know if it worked for you.
👎👍

🕹 Editor's notes

Spyro The Dragon is an adorable kids' game that features a lovable purpled-colored dragon named Spyro. The game is a creation of Insomniac games and was developed for the PlayStation back in 1998. Although people weren't expecting much from it, Spyro charmed players with its compelling storyline, wacky visuals, and fun gameplay. 

This is one game that is similar to Mario or Donkey Kong and comes with plenty of colorful elements. Spyro lets you explore an array of interesting landscapes, iconic castles, and exciting boss battles that will keep you hooked. Dragons have never been this fun before!

Plot

The story starts with the mean and terrifying Gnasty Gnorc, who is on a dragon-hating spree. The evil Gnorc uses a powerful magic spell that freezes all dragons into statues made of crystal. As the only Dragon left unfrozen, little Spyro is the only one who can save his fellow dragons from doom. 

This puts the adorable Dragon on a mission to travel across the six hub worlds and break the curse, freeing all dragon-kind from their predicament. Enjoy plenty of dragon action as you fly across the Dragon's realm and fight against the meddling troll warlords that want to destroy your existence. 

Gameplay

Spyro The Dragon is a kid's game designed to give a relaxed and easy gameplay experience. Playing this game will come naturally to you, and you will be delighted by the easy difficulty levels. The controls are comfortable to master, and the enemies are easy to overcome, including the boss battles. The only thing you might struggle with is your flying skills, which come in handy while you chase those sneaky dragon egg thieves. 

Spyro can shoot flames, charge enemies with his horns, and fly across short distances. Each level poses a new threat in the form of fresh new enemies. Overall, it's a delightful classical kid's game that will bring plenty of entertainment.