M4 Max, Apple's most powerful chip to date, surprised the tech community by running Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition at 120fps on Ultra settings during WWDC 2025. It is the first time a MacBook Pro has been seen as a fair competitor to high-end gaming laptops, and it shows that Apple Silicon has come further than expected in AAA gaming.
M4 Max and a Performance Turning Point for Gaming on the MacBook Pro
With a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, the M4 Max was the centerpiece of this year's WWDC demo, where CD Projekt RED brought a version of Cyberpunk 2077 optimized for Apple Silicon. To hit 120fps at Ultra settings, the system relies on more than raw hardware. It also combines three key technologies: MetalFX Upscaling, Frame Generation, and FP16 Processing, all supported by the new Metal 4 API platform.
- MetalFX Upscaling raises image resolution without demanding much GPU power.
- Frame Generation creates intermediate frames, doubling the display rate for noticeably smoother motion.
- FP16 reduces the computing load on the CPU/GPU, optimizing performance while keeping image quality stable.
A CD Projekt RED representative stressed: “Working with Apple lets us push the limits of REDengine on a new platform and expand gaming beyond Windows.”
Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition: Impressive Capability and Technical Limits
Although Cyberpunk 2077 reached Ultra settings at 120fps on the M4 Max, the WWDC test showed that path tracing, the most advanced lighting technique, was not enabled in the demo. That suggests that even though the M4 Max is very powerful, it still needs more time to fully handle graphically heavy technologies.
Note that Ultra settings does not mean every effect is turned up to the maximum, and some options were still adjusted to keep the frame rate stable. In addition, Apple has not clearly stated how much MetalFX is applied, so real-world experience may change once the final version is released.
Laptops with an RTX 4090 reach roughly 60-80fps with both Frame Generation and path tracing, and the M4 Max is getting very close in performance, especially in scenarios where path tracing is off. This is an encouraging sign for Mac users who love AAA games.
The combination of Apple Silicon hardware and new graphics technologies lays the groundwork for more blockbuster games to be optimized for the MacBook in the future. That helps narrow the gap between the Mac and traditional gaming platforms, opening a new era for premium digital entertainment on the Apple ecosystem.
In short: the MacBook Pro M4 Max running Cyberpunk 2077 at 120fps on Ultra settings is an important milestone for Mac gaming. Thanks to MetalFX, Frame Generation, and FP16, Apple has shown that the Mac is not only for creative work but is also ready to step into the world of serious gaming. Path tracing is still a limitation, but the future of gaming on Apple Silicon looks promising and well worth waiting for.
