3DMark Launches Native Benchmark App for macOS [Video]

UL Solutions has officially released a native macOS version of its popular 3DMark benchmarking suite, giving Mac users a new, optimized tool for measuring gaming performance.

The company noted that since the launch of 3DMark Steel Nomad Light for mobile, a significant portion—one-sixth—of all iOS app submissions came from macOS devices. Running the iOS application on a Mac can lead to inaccurate scores, particularly on more powerful models, as the app's frame rate is limited by the system's display refresh rate.




The new 3DMark for macOS is a full native application designed to provide the most accurate gaming performance benchmarks for the latest Macs. It includes the Wild Life Extreme, Solar Bay, and Steel Nomad Light tests. In a first for the platform, it also brings the more demanding Steel Nomad benchmark, which was previously exclusive to Windows. All benchmarks run natively using Apple's Metal API, and results are fully comparable with scores from Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Owners of the full version of 3DMark gain access to several additional features. These include an Explorer Mode for the Steel Nomad scenes which allows users to freely move through the environments, adjust camera controls, and find hidden secrets. It also enables saving results to a 3DMark.com account, audio for a more immersive experience, custom settings for resolution and looping, and the ability to earn Steam Achievements.

The Explorer Mode also supports game controllers for navigation.

3DMark for macOS is available now on Steam, with a release on the Epic Games Store and directly from UL Solutions planned for the near future. For those who already own 3DMark on Steam, the macOS version is included automatically at no extra cost. Future purchases of the software will also include both Windows and macOS versions where supported.