Mac compatibility
Can you play Final Fantasy XIV Online on a Mac?
Short answer: Square Enix ships an official Mac client — download it from their site. Note it's separate from the Steam (Windows) version, which we haven't tested.
What we know
Square Enix maintains a Mac version of Final Fantasy XIV and offers it directly from the game's website, including for the free trial.
One catch worth knowing before you buy: the Steam listing is Windows-only, and a Steam account of the game and a Square Enix Mac client are handled as different service accounts. Check which one your licence is on before switching.
The Windows requirements list DirectX 11, which Grapple's DXMT layer translates to Metal. We haven't run the Windows version through Grapple, so anything about it here is an expectation, not a result.
Grapple settings
Nothing verified for this game yet — but here's where to start, based on its DirectX version. If you get somewhere, tell us and we'll put the real settings here. You can change the same options in the app; from the command line, replace <bottle> with the name of the Windows environment the game runs in — bottle is the CLI's technical term for it.
- DirectX 10/11: a new install is set to Automatic, which picks D3DMetal or DXMT for you. If the game won't start or renders wrongly, naming a layer is the usual next try:
grapple set <bottle> graphics dxmt - To see frame rates, turn on the Metal HUD:
grapple set <bottle> hud on
Test record
Empty until someone runs it. A record here lists the Mac, macOS and Grapple versions, the engine and graphics layer, the settings and every check — yours can fill it, or ours will.
FAQ
Can I play Final Fantasy XIV Online on a Mac?
Square Enix publishes an official Mac client, downloaded from its own site (the free trial uses the same installer). It is not the Steam version — Steam lists the game for Windows only. Likely to work — not tested yet. DirectX 11 games are squarely what Grapple translates to Metal — through Apple's D3DMetal, which comes with the app, or the open-source DXMT. That's what the game's published facts suggest, not a result. We publish a verified status only after running the game on a real Mac.
What might stop Final Fantasy XIV Online from working?
There's a native Mac version too — this expectation is about the Windows version run through Grapple.
Is there a Mac version of Final Fantasy XIV Online?
Square Enix publishes an official Mac client, downloaded from its own site (the free trial uses the same installer). It is not the Steam version — Steam lists the game for Windows only.
How can I try Final Fantasy XIV Online myself?
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — enough to settle this one. Add Steam in one click (launchers and Windows tools never count as your game), install the game and launch it: that first launch is what claims it, and you can swap it for a different game once every 30 days. If it won't start, try the other graphics layer in the game's settings. Then send us the result — the game and where you bought it, your Mac model and macOS version, the engine and graphics layer it ran on (grapple info <bottle>), your in-game settings, the frame rate from the Metal HUD, and screenshots of any error or a diagnostics report (grapple report <bottle>) — and we'll publish it here once it's a real test run.
Sources
Every factual claim on this page comes from these. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
- Steam store page — system requirements and supported platforms (checked 23 September 2026)
- Final Fantasy XIV — Mac version download page (Square Enix) (checked 23 September 2026)
Try Final Fantasy XIV Online yourself — and tell us
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — exactly enough to settle Final Fantasy XIV Online. It's claimed the first time you play it, launchers and Windows tools don't count towards it, and you can swap it for another game once every 30 days. Install it, play for a bit, and send us what you saw. Every result — working or broken — decides what we test next, and verified results get published here with credit if you want it.
What to send
- The game and where you bought it (Steam, GOG, Epic…)
- Your Mac model, chip and macOS version
- The engine and graphics layer the game ran on —
grapple info <bottle> - The resolution and graphics preset you played at
- Frame rate from the Metal HUD, and the scene you measured it in —
grapple set <bottle> hud on - Screenshots of any error, plus a diagnostics report —
grapple report <bottle>
In those commands, <bottle> is the CLI's term for the Windows environment the game runs in — type its name instead. How to create a diagnostics report — it collects the game's settings, versions and logs into one zip, with your username removed.
Final Fantasy XIV Online is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to identify the game. Grapple isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Square Enix.