Following the successful launch of the M4 Max, rumors are swirling about Apple's next chip, the M4 Ultra, expected to power the updated Mac Pro next year. Reports suggest this powerful SoC could feature up to 80 GPU cores, strengthening Apple's position in the gaming market.
M4 Ultra and the Gaming Market
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the M4 Ultra is poised to make the Mac Pro one of the most powerful mainstream systems available. This, combined with Apple's competitive pricing strategy, makes their machines more accessible and appealing to a wider audience, including gamers.
Apple's unified RAM architecture, which offers a minimum of 16GB even in base models, provides game developers with ample framebuffer resources. This is a significant advantage for porting graphically demanding games, as evidenced by the upcoming Mac release of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition with path tracing and Frame Generation.
Mac Pro and Mac Studio Release
Gurman predicts a mid-2025 release for both the Mac Pro and Mac Studio, though details about the latter are scarce. The M4 Ultra is rumored to have up to 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, though the specific core configuration remains unknown.
Challenges and Opportunities
While Apple has made significant strides in hardware and pricing, attracting game developers to the platform remains a key challenge. Partnerships with Capcom and Ubisoft are promising, but a wider game library is essential to entice more consumers, especially to the higher-end Mac models.
