Highball
Which renderer to use
Highball can run each game through three different Direct3D translation layers. This is what the database knows for this title — empty rows are open questions, not failures.
| Renderer | Verdict | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| DXVKDirect3D 9-11 over Vulkan | Untested | no report yet — send one |
| DXMTDirect3D 11 over Metal | Untested | no report yet — send one |
| D3DMetalApple's Game Porting Toolkit | Reported | community reports |
No dated Highball run yet. When one lands it records the renderer, the engine build and the macOS version it was seen on — which is what stops a verdict quietly rotting. Send one.
Notes
DirectX 12, so D3DMetal. The game refuses to start without AVX ("Death Stranding requires a CPU with AVX support", highball#107 on an M5), which Rosetta hides unless asked, so the recipe advertises it to the game. Confirmed by the reporter on an M5 with Highball 0.9.19. A second perfect report, 74 minutes on D3DMetal on an M5 with the death-stranding recipe.
Known issues
"Death Stranding requires a CPU with AVX support" at launch (reported on an M5)
What helps the recipe advertises AVX to the game (ROSETTA_ADVERTISE_AVX=1), or the Compatibility switch in Environment settings
Why Rosetta hides AVX unless asked
"failed to load d3d12.dll" with exception C06D007F right after the AVX check (reported on an M5, Epic copy, Highball 0.9.15)
What helps Highball 0.9.19 and its engines r3 and r9. Confirmed by the reporter
Why measured on Path of Exile 2 and Hogwarts Legacy the same day: the DirectX 12 timestamp shim numbered its exports from 1 and the game binds D3D12CreateDevice by ordinal 101
One-click setup
Highball ships a recipe for Death Stranding: open the game in your Library and apply it. The recipe carries the tested renderer and any per-game fixes, so you don't have to reproduce them by hand. Read the recipe.
Provenance
Reported working by detnarrrrrrrrr (highball#107, 2026-09-15), Apple M5, macOS 26.6.2, Highball 0.9.19, Epic copy, D3DMetal with AVX advertised. Not verified by the maintainer. ppapantoniou (highball-db#313, 2026-10-04), Apple M5, macOS 27.2 as written, Highball 0.10.4, engine x64-sikarugir10.0_6-r19, D3DMetal with AVX advertised, Windows 11 set in the environment, with the death-stranding and controller recipes, rated 5 of 5 after 74 minutes.
Before installing anything, it is worth checking whether the game already ships a native Mac build.
Common questions
Does Death Stranding work on Mac?
Yes. Mac App Store only ships a native macOS build, which will beat running the Windows version through any compatibility layer. A native Director's Cut exists on the Mac App Store (macOS 13.3, M1 or later), but it is a separate purchase: a Steam copy will not launch it.
Which renderer should I use for Death Stranding?
D3DMetal. Highball can translate Direct3D through DXVK, DXMT or Apple's D3DMetal, and the right choice varies by game. The database records D3DMetal for Death Stranding, and applying the Death Stranding recipe sets it for you.
Is there a one-click setup for Death Stranding?
Yes. Highball ships a recipe for Death Stranding that sets the tested renderer and any per-game fixes. Open the game in your Library and apply it.
Contribute a result
This page is generated from an open database. If you have run Death Stranding on Apple Silicon, working or not, a report takes a minute and fills in the empty rows above. Send a report, or read how the data is put together.