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 | Reported | community reports |
| DXMTDirect3D 11 over Metal | Untested | no report yet — send one |
| 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
Use DXVK. One real report on an M5 with macOS 27: DXMT and D3DMetal both crash right after the Bethesda logo, DXVK runs the game well with early stutters that fade as shaders build. Whether DXMT works on other chips is not recorded yet. A second player on an M4 rated it playable after 42 minutes, with a few dropped frames in the opening cutscene and smooth play after it.
Known issues
Crashes right after the Bethesda logo on DXMT and on D3DMetal (reported on an M5, macOS 27.0, engine r3)
What helps On the game's page under Advanced set the mode to DXVK
Why not diagnosed; the same machine runs the game on DXVK
Provenance
community consensus (AppleGamingWiki / r-macgaming / MacPlay), unverified by Highball. Reported by phmuni (highball-db#122, 2026-09-18 to 2026-09-19): on an Apple M5, macOS 27.0, engine x64-sikarugir10.0_6-r3, Highball 0.9.23, the game crashed right after the Bethesda logo on DXMT and on D3DMetal, then booted and ran well on DXVK, stable with occasional early stutters and no visual defects. Not run here. Second report by GCECEditz (highball-db#417, 2026-10-09), Apple M4, macOS 26.6.2, Highball 0.10.10, engine x64-sikarugir10.0_6-r21, mode not stated (the page's DXVK applies unless the environment sets its own), rated 4 of 5 after 42 minutes.
Before installing anything, it is worth checking whether the game already ships a native Mac build.
Common questions
Does The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition work on Mac?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 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 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition?
DXVK. Highball can translate Direct3D through DXVK, DXMT or Apple's D3DMetal, and the right choice varies by game. The database records DXVK for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. 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 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition 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.