As they say, nothing is certain but death, taxes and Apple rumors. That hasn't changed in 2020 as the new year is kicking off with a report that Apple will release a $5,000 Mac designed specifically for gaming.
The rumors come from Chinese site Economic Daily (via TechRadar) citing "market reports." Not only is Apple said to be releasing a $5,000 gaming machine, but the device will supposedly mark the company's entrance into the esports market.
These are some pretty bold claims about a company that has largely ignored the booming gaming scene over the years.
The rumor itself is also quite vague. According to the report, Apple is working on either an all-in-one, like an iMac with a high-end discrete GPU, or a large-screen laptop similar to the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Which one is it? Economic Daily isn't sure. Regardless, the site concluded that Apple will reveal the device at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June 2020.
If it wasn't obvious by now, we're pretty dubious of these claims. Apple hasn't put much stake in gaming, apart from its mobile gaming subscription service: Apple Arcade. The problem with Apple wanting to compete in the gaming space is that macOS' gaming ecosystem lags far behind Windows 10's.
There just isn't enough value for developers to port their games to macOS when Windows has such a dominant grasp on the market. As a result, Mac owners who want to play the best PC games need to buy a Windows machine or use an emulator.
If Apple can create compelling hardware it might encourage developers to spend time making a macOS version of their games. But the thought of a popular gaming Mac is complicated by Apple's reliance on AMD and unwillingness to use Nvidia's popular components.
All things considered, it's unlikely that we'll see a Mac built for gaming, no less one that costs $5,000. Even if we do, gamers should probably stick to buying Windows laptops and desktops for the extensive list of supported games. Or you can ditch PCs altogether and get the upcoming PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles.
