M4 Max – the most powerful chip from Apple today – stunned the tech community by demonstrating the ability to run Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition at 120fps on Ultra settings during the WWDC 2025 event. This marks the first time a MacBook Pro has been considered a direct competitor to high-end gaming laptops, confirming that Apple Silicon has progressed far beyond expectations in the AAA gaming sector.
M4 Max and the performance turning point for gaming on MacBook Pro
Equipped with a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, the M4 Max became the center of attention at this year’s WWDC when CD Projekt RED brought a Cyberpunk 2077 version optimized for Apple Silicon. To achieve 120fps on Ultra Settings, the system relies not only on raw hardware power but also on the combination of three key technologies: MetalFX Upscaling, Frame Generation, and FP16 Processing – all supported by the new Metal 4 API platform.
- MetalFX Upscaling helps upscale image resolution without consuming excessive GPU resources.
- Frame Generation creates intermediate frames, doubling the display rate and providing exceptional smoothness.
- FP16 reduces the computational load on the CPU/GPU, optimizing performance while maintaining stable image quality.
A representative from CD Projekt RED emphasized: “Partnering with Apple allows us to push the limits of REDengine on a new platform, expanding gaming capabilities beyond Windows.”
Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition: Impressive capabilities and technical limitations
Although Cyberpunk 2077 on M4 Max achieved Ultra Settings at 120fps, testing at WWDC showed that path tracing – the most advanced lighting rendering technique – was not activated during the demonstration. This indicates that while the M4 Max chip is extremely powerful, it still needs more time to fully handle the most demanding graphical technologies.
It should be noted that Ultra Settings does not necessarily mean all effects are set to maximum; some options were adjusted to maintain a stable fps. Additionally, Apple has not yet clearly announced the full implementation level of MetalFX, so the actual experience may vary when the official version is released.
Compared to laptops using an RTX 4090, which typically achieve around 60–80fps with both Frame Generation and path tracing enabled, the M4 Max is closing in on that performance – especially in scenarios where path tracing is not active. This is an optimistic signal for Mac users who love AAA games.
The combination of Apple Silicon hardware and new graphics technologies sets the stage for many blockbuster games to be optimized for MacBook in the future. This helps bridge the gap between 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 a significant milestone for the gaming industry on Mac. Thanks to MetalFX, Frame Generation, and FP16, Apple has proven that Mac is not just for creative work but is also ready to enter the professional gaming world. Although limitations regarding path tracing remain, the future of gaming on Apple Silicon is looking highly promising and worth waiting for.
