Hello everybody,
I am a blind person using VoiceOver. I’ve discovered a few games lately that are only available on Windows, such as the games from VGStorm.com.
I want to by another computer and since I feel more comfortable with MacOs system, I’d like to invest in a Macbook Air.
However, I still want to play my games, so I wish to Virtualize Windows so I can play.
What kind of machine will I need to easily play games on my Macbook? I have many options of processors, ram and since these things are costly, I want to make sure I’ll buy the right thing.
So please, do anyone has ideas of how best to proceed?
Comments
There are a few options.
Hi. First, you can do boot camp, where Windows boots, or the Mac side of the ahrd drive does. I did it years back. Especially with the SSD's out, I don't knwo how big you'd need. Another option is playing the games right from the mac. You need something called wine, and i think another two or three plug ins. I don't know your level of tech saviness but someone I'm sure can help. The last option is as you said, a virtual machine. This means you'd have Mac and Windows together. I've heard you need to remap some keys but I'm not sure how that works. Sorry i'm not more help. I'd love to see more Mac games or an easier way to play the windows ones. Good luck.
Virtualbox
You can use Virtualbox to virtualize Windows, but you will absolutely need to be tech savvy to do this, and I think I might have used my low vision to do most of it a few years ago, not sure what the state of access is in the software. In broad strokes, you need to find an ISO or similar file that is an image of Windows that you could theoretically burn onto a USB or CD, basically the file you need to install Windows. Then you need a key, or whatever Microsoft is using tese days (probably still a key). VirtualBox lets you install Windows virtually as if it were a computer with no OS on it already. It takes up a TON of hard drive space, Windows just keeps downloading random stuff all the time, so keep that in mind. It can also be a bit slower than bare metal, but that shouldn't matter too much for audiogames. The interactions between the two operating systems can be pretty ideosyncratic, it takes awhile to get used to, especially if you're using screen readers, but you can install NVDA in Windows once you get it installed. All in all, not super easy, but it does work. You'll still need to buy Windows normally. If you can get some technical sighted help Bootcamp might still be the way to go, as I recall the dual boot process isn't entirely accessible, but that might have changed.
Wine?
First, thanks to both of you.
I’m interested to learn more about that wine plug in. I’ve had a greate conversation with a sell representative at Apple this morning and orrdered my machine. I think I’ll go either with boot camp or, if I can know more, that Wine thing.
It's techy though
Hi. I don't remember where I saw the wine plug in. I know you have to play around with terminal. So if you're fine with going into the computer's guts, then you should be ok. I'm catious, only because i have the luck that, hmm I've never seen that before, has been said by many a tech rep on windows, Mac, phones, you name it. I think you might want to look at audio games,net post there and see who might help. I'm hoping more mac games come out as we're all on lock down. One more thing, you might just want to get a chap Windows computer, evena referbished one. It would cost about the same to buy Microsoft, along with the computer. so say the Mac was 1000 add on I think two hungred for the legal key and there you go. Of course, there are other ways of getting widnows but I don't want to go there. I'll see what else I can find.
Bootcamp
I’m not totally clueless with computers, however, I’m not an expert either. So I’m really trying to learn all I can before my computer arrives. I’m beginning to think VMWare might be the easiest solution.
Good idea to check on Audiogames. And I also wish games could also be on Mac.
Boot Camp is super simple it
Boot Camp is super simple it’s the one I ended up going with I feel like vmware has a bit of a lag yes it’s nice to have windows inside of Mac but honestly restarting the computer to go into windows is no big deal and I think my audio games run smoother on it. You can always experiment with both of them but ultimately I went with Boot Camp for these reasons.
You convinced me
I think I’ll go with Bootcamp. I just have to figure out how to do the whole thing when I get my new macbook.
I know how to use windows and NVDA, I use Windows and Jaws at work, but I don’t plan to put Jaws in this machine since I know I’ll use the Mac side and VO for emails, Web research and many other things. At the moment, I basically play VGStorm’s games, both Manamons and Paladin of the Sky. And some online Crazy Party with friends.
I wonder now what’s the best version of Windows to use. I’m kind of tempted to avoid 10 if I can do it because, for example, if for some reasons I want to use DBT to work at home instead of going to work, what we have at work, I’ll get compatibility issues. Of course, in that case, I may need to add Jaws, I’ve never tried DBT with anything else.
But truthfully, to start up games like Manamon or Paladin, since they use SAPI, I could just run the Narrator to be sure to have the right game and then play without any screen reader interfering.
Has any of you played the Inquisitor serie? I’m tempted to try them, I just want to wait for my new machine to arrive because that old thing I’m playing with at the moment isn’t reliable.
bootcamp
Hello, i recomend bootcamp, cause it's easy to install and use windows on it. But i have question there: macbook airs since 2018 has not good fans as i understannd and it has thermol problems. So question is: can i use that macbook airs since 2018 to 2020 in: browsing in google chrome, bootcamp, playing some windows audiogames? skype? Thanks in advance.
Is there a beginners guide for boot camp?
Is there a comprehensive guide to Boot Camp somewhere that I can refer to?
Thank you
i wouldn't use it on a MBA
morning all.
I wouldn't go and use Windows 10 on a MacBook Air personally speaking. As someone above said, the Airs have terible fan control and the way that the machines are constructed regarding components is that the Fan can't really cool the CPU so that you have alot of throtteling going on, the air is good for the most basics of tasks and a good entry into the mac world, but nothing more.
I ordered myself a MacBook pro 13 inch 2020, I will probably go and give Windows a test run with bootcamp, although the whine emulation also looks pritty neat, wondering if there are any folks on here who use whine to play windows games.
Greetings Moritz.
Parallels Desktop 15 Virtual Machine ...
anyone use Parallels Desktop 15 Virtual Machine ...?
does it accessible?
BootCamp is the best
I have ran VM Fusion and found it slow and laggy as others said. Its not bad but percision when playing an audio game needs to be accurate. I love bootcamp because most of the time I use Mac but then when I need to do testing or play something only on Windows I just boot in to it.
Windows 10 is very reliable
I would just get a budget friendly computer instead and Windows 10 is most likely the best choice for that task. NVDA works better on windows. Windows has a built in anti virus program for free, what does Mac have? Its best to keep those two things separate so you won’t have any problems with gaming.