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 | Reported | 1 report |
| D3DMetalApple's Game Porting Toolkit | Untested | no report yet — send one |
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
The standalone expansion, a separate Steam app from Heroes of Might and Magic V. Reported to run like on Windows on an M2 with DXMT over almost two hours. The only problem was on the very first launch, when macOS asked whether Highball may use the Documents folder (the game keeps its profile and saves there) and the screen went black after the answer. Quitting with Command Option Escape and starting it again fixed it for good.
Known issues
Black screen on the very first launch, right after macOS asks for access to the Documents folder
What helps Allow the access, quit the game with Command Option Escape and start it again. The prompt does not come back.
Why macOS shows its one-time permission prompt while the game is starting fullscreen, the first time anything in the environment writes to Documents
Provenance
Reported by buturugaa (highball-db#720, 2026-10-26), the Steam edition, Apple M2, macOS 27.0.1, Highball 0.10.22, engine x64-sikarugir10.0_6-r28, DXMT, msync, Windows 10, rated 4 of 5 after 117 minutes through Highball. Not verified by the maintainer.
Before installing anything, it is worth checking whether the game already ships a native Mac build.
Common questions
Does Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East work on Mac?
Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East has no native Mac build, but it is reported to run on Apple Silicon through Highball, a free open-source compatibility layer. This comes from community reports rather than a Highball test run, so treat it as a reasonable expectation rather than a guarantee.
Which renderer should I use for Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East?
DXMT. Highball can translate Direct3D through DXVK, DXMT or Apple's D3DMetal, and the right choice varies by game. The database records DXMT for Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East. Highball uses it automatically when the game has a row; to set it by hand, open Settings, then Environments.
Contribute a result
This page is generated from an open database. If you have run Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East 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.