Okay college kids, why do so many of you have mac books? I'm just wondering if it's best to have a Mac for college or a PC. I see so many people with Macs and they have no idea how to use them.
This blog goes out to all fans who have a Mac or a PC but have never played a computer game on it. This blog goes out to all fans who look at the list of platforms we’re available on and see a list of names they don’t recognize.
We see you. We’re here to help.
Many people are looking for a nice, portable way to bring our games to a friend’s house. Or, they haven’t played one of our games before and don’t own a gaming console like an Xbox One, PS4, or Nintendo Switch.
Good news. You don’t NEED one of these platforms. If you have a Mac or PC, you’re good to go once you’ve downloaded a platform called Steam.
What is Steam?
Long story short: Steam is a free software that you download onto your computer to essentially turn it into a gaming console like an Xbox or PlayStation. It takes your drab PC and adds a dash of game spice. (Hmmmm… “Game Spice™”…. We like that.)
Once you have Steam on your PC, Mac, or Linux computer, think of Steam like a free membership service. Through Steam, you have the opportunity to buy and play a ton of games that you couldn’t previously. Steam isn’t the only platform of this nature but it’s one of the main ways people play Jackbox Games.
Your website sells PC/Mac/Linux codes on multiple platforms. What is the difference between them?
You can buy and play our games on PC and Mac on either Steam or in the Epic Store (our games are also available on Linux through Steam).
You can buy Steam codes in multiple places:
- The official Jackbox Games shop
- The Steam store itself
- The Fanatical store
- The Humble store
- The Green Man Gaming store
So you see, a lot of places sell Steam codes (and offer different sales of our games at different times)! Once they’re purchased however, you redeem them once you’re logged into your Steam account.
How do I create an account?
Click here to get started with creating a Steam account using your email address. Once it is created and verified, you’ll be prompted to choose a username and password. After that, you should be logged in!
Once on the home page, look in the upper righthand corner to Install Steam onto your computer. Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to purchase, download, and play games.
NOTE: To access your game library on a different computer, simply Install Steam on that computer and log into your account. You will need to re-download the game on that specific computer before playing but you won’t need to repurchase the game to play.
I downloaded Steam. Now what?
Once it’s downloaded and you have Steam open on your computer, click on the “Store” tab in the upper left hand corner to find a game that you want to buy and play. If you purchased a code from a different store selling Steam codes (like our shop or Humble), then click on the “Games” tab in your toolbar and click “Activate a Product on Steam.” Follow the prompts on the screen to enter your code and begin the download process.
Still need a Jackbox Games title?
You’re almost ready to party now. All that’s missing is the game itself. Use the discount code STEAMBLOG in our shop to get 15% off a Steam code of our games now.
You can also view a complete list of our games available on Steam here. Enjoy!
The Windows versus Mac debate is one that has been raging for years and it is not going to end any time soon. Like the Steelers versus the Browns or Rangers vs Celtic in Scottish soccer, it is a topic on which opinions become ingrained and there is no room for middle ground.
Or is there? One point on which there has been a general consensus over the years has been on the topic of gaming. But is it really deserved? And if so, why does the Mac continue to lag behind Windows in what is becoming an increasingly important aspect of our digital lives?
The changing face of gaming
To a certain extent, the whole idea that a Mac is unsuitable for gaming is a hangover from a bygone age. Today, there are thousands of online games ranging from brain teasers like Sudoku or Words With Friends and to casino games such as slots or roulette and an ever growing number of new websites where you can play them.
The processing power of any modern machine is more than a match for these types of gaming apps, and even a $200 Chromebook will provide a more than adequate experience. To suggest that any Mac would fail to deliver with games like these is clearly a nonsense, and the truth is that millions of Mac users are casual gamers who enjoy a trouble-free experience.
Do Macs Have Games On Them Online
Hardware considerations
Of course, for some, gaming means more than a flash-based online app. In the booming world of eSport, games like CS:GO and DOTA play in 1080p full HD and place significant demands on your hardware. At first glance, this should still not present a problem. After all, Macs are famous for top-notch processing power that can put most Windows PCs to shame. But it is not quite that simple.
The issue is that unlike a Windows PC or laptop, your standard Mac relies solely on integrated graphics, and does not have a dedicated graphics card. It would be harsh to describe this as a flaw or a shortcoming. The entire ethos of the Mac’s design is to deliver optimum power in as small and light a package as possible. It’s primarily designed for work over play, and to bulk it out in this way purely to enhance its gaming capability would be counterproductive.
Do Macs Have Games On Them Free
Fewer software options
The hardware limitations are actually not as limiting a factor now as they might have been a decade ago. But the reputation has stuck and as a result, game developers continue to look first and foremost at the Windows market. Given gaming’s more widespread appeal in the modern era, that is potentially a mistake, but the fact remains that if you take a look at, for example, the Steam Store, there are roughly three times as many games available for Windows as there are for Mac.
Do Macs Have Games On Them Go
From a pragmatic perspective, then, there is no disputing that Windows continues to offer more choices to gamers than Mac. However, it is a situation to which the industry is gradually awakening. Mac’s global market share continues to rise, and developing games for both Windows and Mac is becoming the obvious choice for developers. Perhaps the Mac’s poor reputation among gamers is one that is finally going to be shaken off once and for all.