Apple's budget MacBook Neo can run the demanding open-world game Crimson Desert at approximately 50 FPS using aggressive upscaling techniques, despite having specifications below the official minimum requirements.

Crimson Desert hovers around 50 FPS on MacBook Neo, albeit at laughably low resolution

Crimson Desert reviews are all over the place. While some critics are in love with the massive open-world game's visual fidelity, others have found in-game mechanics and the overall storyline to be unimpressive at best. However, the game runs pretty well on modest hardware, which is always a good thing for budget gamers.

Speaking of budget, the MacBook Neo happens to be the first-ever laptop from Apple that prioritizes affordability over anything else, running on a last-generation iPhone SoC paired with a measly 8 GB of RAM to keep costs low. Interestingly, Crimson Desert runs natively on Apple Silicon, which includes the new MacBook Neo.

Popular Mac gaming YouTuber Andrew Tsai decided to test things out, and it appears that the MacBook Neo (currently $599 on Amazon) can indeed run the wildly popular game, albeit at laughably low settings. That is to be expected, considering that the minimum official requirements for running Crimson Desert on Mac happen to be an M2 Pro or M3-class SoC.

What's New

The MacBook Neo represents a significant departure from Apple's traditional laptop lineup by prioritizing cost savings over performance. This budget machine utilizes an A18 Pro chip with a 5-core GPU, which is essentially last year's iPhone processor, rather than the dedicated M-series chips typically found in Mac computers. The decision to pair this processor with just 8GB of RAM shared between the CPU and GPU further emphasizes Apple's focus on affordability.

Despite these modest specifications, the MacBook Neo can run Crimson Desert, a graphically intensive MMORPG that typically demands more powerful hardware. The game achieves playable frame rates through aggressive upscaling techniques, rendering the game at an incredibly low base resolution of 180p before using MetalFX to upscale it to 540p. Frame generation technology is also employed to smooth out the experience.

How It Compares

The performance of Crimson Desert on the MacBook Neo is particularly interesting when compared to other Apple Silicon machines. Despite having specifications well below Apple's recommended minimum requirements, the MacBook Neo manages to deliver frame rates comparable to the original M1 chip in certain scenarios.

Crimson Desert runs on A18 Pro, but there is a somewhat blurry catch.

The A18 Pro's hardware-accelerated mesh shaders contribute to this unexpectedly good performance, allowing the GPU to handle the game's rendering demands more efficiently than might be expected from a mobile processor designed primarily for smartphone use. This suggests that Apple's silicon architecture continues to deliver impressive efficiency gains even in budget configurations.

Compared to other budget gaming laptops in the same price range, the MacBook Neo's performance with Crimson Desert is competitive, though the extreme resolution reduction means the visual quality suffers significantly. Traditional Windows gaming laptops in this price range might offer higher base resolutions but often struggle with the same types of modern games that require advanced features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shaders.

Who It's For

The MacBook Neo with Crimson Desert capability isn't targeting serious gamers looking for high-fidelity experiences. Instead, this configuration serves several specific user groups:

Casual gamers on a tight budget: For students or casual gamers who primarily play less demanding titles but occasionally want to try newer games, the MacBook Neo offers an affordable entry point into the Apple ecosystem with surprising gaming capabilities.
Apple ecosystem enthusiasts: Users already invested in Apple's ecosystem who need a secondary, more affordable laptop will appreciate that even the budget model can handle some modern games, albeit with significant visual compromises.
Mobile professionals who game occasionally: Business users who need a portable device for work but want to unwind with gaming during downtime will find the MacBook Neo offers an acceptable compromise.
Developers testing cross-platform games: Game developers working on Apple Silicon optimization can use the MacBook Neo as an entry-level testing platform for their games' minimum viable performance.

The fact that Crimson Desert runs at all on this hardware speaks volumes about Pearl Abyss's commitment to optimizing their game for lower-end systems. The game's ability to deliver a "decently enjoyable experience" through frame generation and aggressive upscaling techniques shows how modern game engines can adapt to hardware constraints better than ever before.

For those considering purchasing a MacBook Neo specifically for gaming, expectations need to be managed. While the system can technically run modern games like Crimson Desert, the significant visual compromises required mean it shouldn't be considered a true gaming laptop. However, as an entry-level machine that can occasionally handle more demanding titles, it exceeds what might be expected given its modest specifications and price point.