Universal Binary Games
From Mac Guides
This page is being redone as Intel Mac Games
This is a collection of Universal Binary Games for Mac OS X. Universal Binaries include both PowerPC and Intel code for the best performance on each platform. Games that are not Universal may still run on an Intel Mac under OS versions prior to 10.7 (Lion), but will run slower, and games that are Intel-only will not run on PowerPC Macs at all.
| Game | Publisher | Architecture | Download | Notes | Forum Thread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 007: Nightfire | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta with no problems | ||
| 4x4 EVO 2 | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta with no problems | ||
| Acropolis | GameHouse | Universal | |||
| Adventures of El Ballo (The) | Ambrosia Software | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs perfectly under Rosetta. | ||
| Age of Empires II | MacSoft | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs fine under Rosetta. | Link | |
| Age of Empires III | MacSoft | Universal | 1.0.3 | Now supports 10.5 Leopard. | |
| Age of Mythology | MacSoft | Universal (Update) | 2.0.1 | Now supports 10.5 Leopard. UB update for US retail version only. Runs very well under Rosetta. | |
| Airline Tycoon Deluxe | RuneSoft | Universal (Update) | 1.08 | ||
| Alien Vs Predator | MacPlay | PowerPC (runs well) | 1.0.4 | Runs perfectly under Rosetta with Tiger & Leopard. Note. Multiplayer is not cross platform compatible. | |
| Alien Vs Predator 2 | MacPlay | PowerPC | 1.0.9.6 | Runs perfectly under Rosetta except multiplayer modes. Alien vs Predator 2 Online fix v1.0 Note. Game no longer functions with OS X 10.5 Leopard. Tiger Only. | |
| America's Army | U.S. Army | PowerPC | 2.5 | No longer supported on the Mac. Version 2.5 [last Mac version] runs reasonably well under Rosetta. | Link |
| American History Lux | Sillysoft Games | Universal | 1.05 | ||
| American McGee's Alice | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.1.2 | ||
| Amju Super Cool Pool | Amju Games | Universal | 1.4 | ||
| Ancient Empires Lux | Sillysoft Games | Universal | 1.0 | ||
| Armado | Tricky Software | Universal | 1.1 | ||
| Armagetron Advanced | Independent / Open source | Universal | 0.2.8.2.1 | ||
| Barrage | Battery Acid | Universal (Update) | 1.0.2 | ||
| Battlefield 1942 | Aspyr | PowerPC | 1.6.1 Rev D | Runs OK under Rosetta (15-25 FPS) | Link |
| Battlefield 2142 | EA Games | Intel | GMA 950 not supported. | ||
| Battleground Europe | See: World War II Online: Battleground Europe | ||||
| Big Bang Board Games | Freeverse Software | Universal (Update) | 2.3.4 | ||
| Bionicle | Feral Interactive | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | Update requires 10.4 or greater. | |
| Black & White | Feral | PowerPC | Runs reasonably well under Rosetta. | ||
| Bugdom 2 | Pangea Software | Universal (Update) | 3.0.1 | ||
| Burning Monkey Casino | Freeverse Software | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs perfectly under Rosetta. | ||
| Call of Duty | Aspyr | PowerPC; Announced | 1.5 | Runs very well under Rosetta | Link |
| Call of Duty 2 | Aspyr | Universal | 1.3 | ||
| Cars: The Videogame | THQ | Universal (Update) | 1.0 | Does not work, asks for play disk but will not accept game disk. THQ recommends returning game to shop! | |
| Civilization III: Complete | See: Sid Meier's Civilization III: Complete | ||||
| Civilization IV | See: Sid Meier's Civilization IV | ||||
| Clive Barker's Undying | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs reasonably under Rosetta. Some slowdowns to be experienced in great halls and outdoor areas. | ||
| Close Combat: First to Fight | MacSoft | Universal (Update) | 1.03 | ||
| Cold War | RuneSoft | Universal | Does not work on the GMA 950 featured in MacBooks and Intel Mac minis | ||
| Command & Conquer Generals | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.04 | Also the Zero Hour extension has an UB update. | |
| C&C Generals Deluxe Edition | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.04 | Official announcement | |
| Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars | EA Games | Intel | GMA 950 not supported. | ||
| Crusader Kings | Virtual Programming | Universal (Update) | 1.05 | ||
| DEFCON | Ambrosia Software | Universal | [1] | ||
| Deimos Rising | Ambrosia Software | PowerPC | 1.0.6 | Runs reasonably under Rosetta. Choppy at times. | |
| Diablo II | Blizzard | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs fairly well under Rosetta, either in OpenGL or rendering | ||
| Dominions 3 | Shrapnel Games | Universal | 3.06 | ||
| Doom | ID Software | Universal | PrBoom | Runs through PrBoom. Requires wads from Doom. | |
| Doom II | ID Software | Universal | PrBoom | Runs through PrBoom. Requires wads from Doom II. | |
| Doom 3 | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.3.1 RevA | Link | |
| Enigmo 2 | Pangea Software | Universal | Initially released as Universal Binary | ||
| Europa Universalis II | Virtual Programming | Universal (Update) | 1.0.9 | ||
| EV Nova | Ambrosia Software | Universal (Update) | 1.1.0 | ||
| Excalibur: Morgana's Revenge | Excalibur World | Universal (Update) | 3.0.1 | ||
| Ford Racing 2 | Feral Interactive | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | Update requires 10.4 or greater. | |
| Freedom Force | MacPlay | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta. Minor quirks with objective arrows. | ||
| Gears of War | Epic | Announced | Unknown if Universal Binary, or Intel-only. | ||
| GL Golf | Nuclear Nova Software | Universal (Update) | 1.86 | ||
| Gooball | Ambrosia Software | Universal (Update) | 1.0.2 | ||
| Halo | MacSoft | Universal (Update) | 2.0.2 | Need to pay to download the UB update. | Link |
| Hardwood Backgammon | Silver Creek Entertainment | Universal | Link | ||
| Hardwood Euchre | Silver Creek Entertainment | Universal | Link | ||
| Hardwood Hearts | Silver Creek Entertainment | Universal | Link | ||
| Hardwood Solitaire | Silver Creek Entertainment | Universal | Link | ||
| Hardwood Spades | Silver Creek Entertainment | Universal | Link | ||
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | Aspyr | PowerPC | 1.0.1 | Runs reasonably under Rosetta | |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | EA Games | Intel | GMA 950 not supported. | ||
| Heart of Iron 2 | Virtual Programming | Universal (Beta) | 1.3 b1 | ||
| Heart of Iron 2: Doomsday | Virtual Programming | Universal (Beta) | 1.3 b1 | ||
| Heroes of Might and Magic V | Freeverse | Intel | 1.5 | ||
| Homeworld 2 | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | 1.1.1 | Runs very well under Rosetta | |
| Imperial Glory | Feral Interactive | Universal | Link | ||
| Indiana Jones and the Emperors Tomb | Aspyr | PowerPC | 1.0 IP | Runs reasonably under Rosetta. Slowdowns in bigger rooms and areas. | |
| ioquake3 | id Software | Universal | rev845 | Runs better than sqonk's Quake 3 port | |
| Islands Mini Golf | DanLabGames | Universal | 1.4 | ||
| Jammin' Racer | DanLabGames | Universal | 1.3 | ||
| Jets'n'Guns | Rake in Grass | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta | ||
| Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | 1.0.1 | Works well on Leopard and Intel. | |
| Kitty Spangles Solitaire | Swoop Software | Universal (Update) | 2.0 | ||
| Klondike Forever | Solitaire Forever | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | ||
| Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness | Aspyr | PowerPC | Untested |
| |
| LEGO Star Wars | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.0revA | ||
| LEGO Star Wars II | Feral Interactive | Universal | |||
| Links Championship Edition (2002) | MacSoft | PowerPC | 1.0.4 | Unplayable. Constant freezes. 1.0.2 tested, 1.0.4 updater does not install. | |
| Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (The) | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs reasonably under Rosetta. |
| |
| Lux Delux | Sillysoft Games | Universal | 5.3 | ||
| MacTrek | Independent / Open source | Universal | 1.4 | ||
| MahJong | Absolutist | Universal (Update) | 1.0 | ||
| Marble Blast Gold Edition | GarageGames | Universal (Update) | 1.6 | ||
| Max Payne | Macsoft (N. America) Feral Interactive (Rest of World) | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs perfectly under Rosetta | ||
| Medal of Honor: Allied Assault | Aspyr | PowerPC | 1.14a | Runs well under Rosetta (20-70 FPS) | Link |
| Mountain Tanks | Battery Acid Games | PowerPC | |||
| Movies (The) | Feral Interactive | Universal | |||
| Myst III: Exile | Ubisoft | PowerPC | 1.22 | Game runs well under Rosetta, though audio is choppy during cut-scenes, quickly remedied by use of subtitles. | |
| Myst IV: Revelation | Ubisoft | PowerPC | 1.0.3 | Game runs okay under Rosetta. | |
| Myst V: End of Ages | Ubisoft | PowerPC | 1.0 | Linked file is a patched installer allowing installation to Intel Macs. Game runs poorly under Rosetta. | Link |
| Myst Online: Uru Live | GameTap | Intel | GMA 950 not supported. | ||
| Myth II : Soulblighter | Bungie | Universal (Update) | 1.6 | Myth II is now maintained by Project Magma | |
| Nanosaur 2 | Pangea Software | Universal (Update) | 2.0.1 | ||
| Need for Speed Carbon | EA Games | Intel | GMA 950 not supported. | ||
| NeverWinter Nights | MacSoft | PowerPC; Announced | Runs reasonably under Rosetta | ||
| NeverWinter Nights 2 | Aspyr | Intel | Click on Aspyr link for updated announcement | ||
| NoLimits Rollercoaster | Mad Data | Universal (Update) | 1.58 | 1.58 update requires 1.55 update and 1.35 Update. | Link |
| No One Lives Forever | MacPlay | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs perfectly under Rosetta. | ||
| No One Lives Forever 2 | MacPlay | PowerPC | Link | Sluggish on higher end machines such as the Macbook Pro and Mac Pro. Unplayable on lower end Intel Macs. | |
| OpenArena | Independent / Open source | Universal | 0.8.1 | ||
| Otto Matic | Pangea Software | Universal (Update) | 3.0.8 | ||
| Outnumbered | Keith Bauer | Universal | 1.0 | ||
| Pangea Arcade | Pangea Software | Universal | 1.0.3 |
| |
| Postal 2: Share The Pain | Running With Scissors | Universal (Update) | 1409.2 | ||
| Quake | id Software | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | Requires Quake Shareware or Full version | Link |
| Quake II | id Software | Universal (Update) | 1.08 | Requires Quake II Full version | |
| Quake III Arena | id Software | Universal (Update) | 1.3.2 | Good performance, nothing spectacular | Link |
| Quake 4 | Aspyr | Universal | 1.4.2 | Supports Dual Core/Dual Processor | |
| Railroad Tycoon III | MacSoft | PowerPC (runs well) | Solid performance under Rosetta | Link | |
| Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc | Feral Interactive | PowerPC (runs well) | Demo | Runs very well under Rosetta. A Mac with dedicated graphics is recommended. | |
| realMYST | MacPlay | PowerPC (runs well) | Link | Runs very well under Rosetta. | |
| Red Faction | graphsim | PowerPC (runs well) | 1.2b3 | Runs very well under Rosetta. | |
| Redline | Ambrosia Software | Universal | 1.0.2 | ||
| Restaurant Game (The) | M.I.T. Media lab | Universal (Update) | 1.9.1 | ||
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein | Activision | PowerPC | Runs reasonably under Rosetta | ||
| RHEM | Knut Müller | PowerPC | Untested | ||
| RHEM 2 | Knut Müller | PowerPC | Untested | ||
| Rise of Nations | MacSoft | PowerPC | Runs very well under Rosetta | ||
| Riven | Cyan | Universal (Beta) | Riven X 0.7.2 | Needs feedback | |
| Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.2 Rev A | Link | |
| Ruckus Buck's Dangerous Mines | Silver Creek Entertainment | Universal | Link | ||
| Second Life | Linden Lab | Universal | Link | ||
| Shredder Classic | Stefan Meyer-Kahlen | Universal (Update) | 1.2 | ||
| Shrek 2 | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | ||
| Sid Meier's Civilization III: GOTY | MacSoft | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta | ||
| Sid Meier's Civilization III: Complete | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.2.2 Rev A | ||
| Sid Meier's Civilization IV | Aspyr | Universal | |||
| SimCity 4 Rush Hour/Deluxe Edition | Aspyr | Universal (Beta) | 1.1 Rev A | Beta Universal Patch released 4/27/07 by Aspyr | |
| Sims 2 (The) | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.0 Rev F | ||
| Sims 2 University Expansion pack (The) | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.1 Rev A | Link | |
| Sims 2 Nightlife Expansion pack (The) | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.1 Rev A | Link | |
| Sims 2 Open for Business Expansion pack (The) | Aspyr | Universal | |||
| Sims 2 Pets Expansion pack (The) | Aspyr | Universal | |||
| Sim Theme Park | Feral | PowerPC | Very poor performance under Rosetta | ||
| SketchFighter 4000 Alpha | Ambrosia Software | Universal | 1.0.0 | ||
| Solitaire Forever | Solitaire Forever | Universal (Update) | 1.2 | ||
| Space Colony | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs fine under Rosetta | ||
| Spaceward Ho! 5.0 | DeltaTao | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs perfectly under Rosetta. | ||
| Spider-Man 2 | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | ||
| SpyHunter | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs reasonably under Rosetta. Blank screen on FMV. | ||
| Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force | Aspyr | Universal (Multiplayer only) | v1.37 | Multiplayer only. Requires pk3s from a patched Windows/Mac installation. | |
| Star Trek: Elite Force 2 | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs well under Rosetta. | ||
| Star Wars Battlefront | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs at decent speeds under Rosetta. | ||
| Star Wars: Empire at War | Aspyr | Intel | Released as an Intel-only binary. | ||
| Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.04 Rev C | ||
| Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy | Aspyr | Universal (Update) | 1.0.1e | ||
| Star Wars: KOTOR | Aspyr | Universal (Beta) | 1.0.3d | Universal Patch 1.0.3d Beta Released | Link |
| Starcraft | Blizzard | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta | Link | |
| Stubbs the Zombie | Aspyr | PowerPC | Runs very poorly under Rosetta. | ||
| The Adventures of El Ballo | See: Adventures of El Ballo (The) | ||||
| The Movies | See: Movies (The) | ||||
| The Sims 2 | See: Sims 2 (The) | ||||
| Think tanks | GarageGames | PowerPC | |||
| Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | 1.1.1a | Runs perfectly under Rosetta | |
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | Reports are that it runs well even on MacBook | ||
| Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell | Ubisoft | PowerPC | Runs poorly under Rosetta | ||
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs perfectly under Rosetta. Audio interupts during intro but in game audio is fine. | ||
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | Aspyr | PowerPC (runs well) | 1.0.1 | Runs perfectly under Rosetta. | |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | Aspyr | PowerPC | 1.0.2 | Won't install on Leopard 10.5. Installer won't accept serial number. | |
| ToySight Gold | Freeverse | PowerPC | Runs well under Rosetta (and with iSight) | ||
| Tremulous | Dark Legion Development | Universal | v2006-07-04 | ||
| Tribal Trouble | Oddlabs | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | ||
| Tron 2.0 | MacPlay | PowerPC | Runs poorly under Rosetta | ||
| Tropico Mucho Macho Edition | MacSoft | PowerPC | Runs well under Rosetta | ||
| Tropico Pirate Cove 2 | MacSoft | PowerPC | Runs fine under Rosetta | ||
| Tumblebugs | Game House | PowerPC (runs well) | Link | Runs very well under Rosetta | |
| Ultima III | LairWare | Universal (Update) | 2.0 | No free UB update from previous versions. | |
| Undying | See: Clive Barker's Undying | ||||
| Unreal | Epic | PowerPC | Should run under Rosetta if unofficial OSX port is used. | ||
| Unreal Tournament | MacSoft | PowerPC (runs well) | Runs very well under Rosetta if OSX port is used. | ||
| Unreal Tournament 2003 | MacSoft | PowerPC | Runs reasonably well under Rosetta. | ||
| Unreal Tournament 2004 | MacSoft | Universal (Update) | 3369.2 | Reported speeds of 80 fps | Link |
| Unreal Tournament 3 | Epic | Announced | Unknown if Universal Binary, or Intel-only. | ||
| Urban Terror | Frozen Sand | Universal (Update) | 4.0 | ||
| VDrift | Independent / Open source | Universal | Link | ||
| Vendetta Online | Guild Software | Universal (Update) | Doesn't run on the Intel Mac mini. | ||
| Victoria | Virtual Programming | Universal (Update) | 1.04 | ||
| Victoria: Revolutions | Virtual Programming | Universal (Update) | 1.0 | ||
| Virtual Grand Prix 3 | Paolo Cattani (A&M) | Universal | Demo Here | Mods also available! | Link |
| vSide | Doppelganger | Universal | 1.0 | ||
| Warcraft III | Blizzard | Universal (Update) | Only available via Battle.net. | Link | |
| Wingnuts 2 | Freeverse | Universal | |||
| Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory | Activision | Universal (Update) | 2.60d | ||
| World of Padman | Universal | 1.2 | Link | ||
| World of Warcraft | Blizzard | Universal (Update) | 1.9.3 + | Only available from the Blizzard Downloader | Link |
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | Cornered Rat Software | Intel | 1.30.3 | requires Intel, 10.5 or greater. | Link |
| Worms 3D | Feral Interactive | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | Update requires 10.4 or greater. | |
| X³: Reunion | Virtual Programming Ltd. | Intel | GMA 950 not supported. | ||
| X-Plane | Austin Meyer | Universal | 8.40 | Runs at 58 fps with plenty of rendering options on new iMacs | |
| Zoo Tycoon 2 | MacSoft | Universal (Update) | 1.1 | Not Rosetta compatible | |
[edit]
Links
- Mac Guides: List of Universal Binaries
- Mac Guides: List of commonly used Game Acronyms
- Apple.com/Universal Binary/Games
- Apple.com/Games
- Wikipedia's "Universal binary" Page
- Ambrosia's Intel Compatibility Page

