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 | named in upstream release notes |
| 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
A player on an M5 Pro reports it plays flawlessly on the Wine 11 engine (highball#232), and the recipe makes Play offer that engine. On the Wine 11 engine (x64-crossover26.3-r12) the game opens and shows Blizzard's Battle.net account link screen, a QR code and a code to enter at blizzard.com/link, which a Steam player sees on a first start. The account was not linked here, so nothing past that screen was played. On the default engine (x64-sikarugir10.0_6-r17) the same copy runs for two minutes without ever opening a window, which is what players report (highball#232). The hang measured in September on engine r5, a load above 240 that buried the Mac, did not happen on either engine, the load stayed under 7. The DXMT changelog note still stands as an upstream claim (missing hero ability effects fixed, Battle.net required). Re-checked on 2026-10-05 on an M4 with the Wine 11 engine r15 and DXMT: the game opens full screen on its own desktop Space and shows Blizzard's Battle.net link screen (QR code), the first screen for a Steam account that is not linked yet. A second player, on an M4 with the Wine 11 engine r15 and DXMT, played 18 minutes with some frame drops (highball-db#340).
Known issues
On the default engine the game starts but never opens a window (highball#232)
What helps The recipe offers the Wine 11 engine (x64-crossover26.3-r15 or newer) on Play; switching by hand is the environment's full page, Advanced, Engine. A player confirmed it plays there (highball#232).
Why Not found yet. The same copy opens and reaches the account link screen on the Wine 11 engine. Measured on an M4 with macOS 27.0 on 2026-10-01, engines r17 and r12 with DXMT
On engine r5 (September 2026) the Mac became unresponsive soon after launch, with no game window
What helps Did not happen on r12 or r17 in two minutes each on 2026-10-01. If it does, stop the environment from Highball and the Mac recovers at once
Why A repeating assertion failure inside the game, each one a Windows exception that is expensive under Rosetta. Measured 2026-09-09 on x64-crossover26.3-r5, load average above 240, back to 2 when the process was killed
One-click setup
Highball ships a recipe for Overwatch 2: 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
DXMT changelog v0.80 (github.com/3Shain/dxmt/releases). Measured here on an M4 with macOS 27.0 on 2026-10-01, the Steam copy with DXMT, up to Blizzard's account link screen. The game itself was not played. Played by yaoiboy5 (highball#232, 2026-10-05), Apple M5 Pro, macOS 27.0.1, after switching the environment to the Wine 11 engine: plays flawlessly, with a Battle.net account already linked to Steam. Played by vlbphotography (highball-db#340, 2026-10-05), Apple M4, macOS 27.0.1, Highball 0.10.3, on the Wine 11 engine r15 with DXMT: playable for 18 minutes, rated 3 of 5 for some frame drops.
Before installing anything, it is worth checking whether the game already ships a native Mac build.
Common questions
Does Overwatch 2 work on Mac?
Overwatch 2 has no native Mac build, but it is reported to run on Apple Silicon through Highball, a free open-source compatibility layer. It is named as working or fixed in upstream release notes. Highball has not run it, so treat this as a strong report rather than a verified result.
Which renderer should I use for Overwatch 2?
DXMT. Highball can translate Direct3D through DXVK, DXMT or Apple's D3DMetal, and the right choice varies by game. The database records DXMT for Overwatch 2, and applying the Overwatch 2 recipe sets it for you.
Is there a one-click setup for Overwatch 2?
Yes. Highball ships a recipe for Overwatch 2 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 Overwatch 2 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.