Post #1284054

2026-04-16 15:39 UTC

Question for y'all. As of 2026 Steam Hardware / Software Survey, OSX constitutes 2.35% of users whereas Linux is 5.33% with Windows of course being 92.33% So like, if I just "say, fuck it, I'm only supporting Windows and Linux going forwards" would that be a horrible terrrible no good idea? I ask because I want to use Rust for projects but of course OSX is monumentally difficult to compile for given Apple is a gatekeeping shitnozzle about allowing devs to support their OS. Please vote and feel free to boost, I wanna get a varied feedback on this one. Ok thanks byeeeeeee 💋 #GameDev #IndieGameDev #Gaming

Replies (7)

@0x0961h@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-04-16 16:26

@queenofsquiggles If you'd be selling for millions, then those 2.5% would be a lot of customers wishing to buy your precious game and give you money, but filtering down by genre and by scale, you'll effectively be doing a port for not very big number of people. It's not bad, it opens doors for people who only use mac, especially with the anti-windows mood these days, but it depends if it'll take you two clicks in the engine or weeks of debugging (which is the case). I'd say ditch the macos.

Open ##1284812
@Njord@zeroes.ca 2026-04-16 16:09

@queenofsquiggles Localization is generally less work, far less BS, and reaches more additional users than MAC support

Open ##1284813
@glitchypixel@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-04-16 16:01

@queenofsquiggles I know plenty of devs, indie and not indie, who will not make an OSX version unless they are getting paid to do it in a way that justifies the effort. This is actually a common trend, so I don't see any issue with not supporting OSX.

Open ##1284815
@ichderfisch@ruhr.social 2026-04-16 15:56

@queenofsquiggles for most games, especially indie games, in my experience the windows version with the proton layer runs way better than a dedicated linux version. I wonder why that is, but blame linux for just being complicated from a Dev perspective. Proton solves the issue anyway. In regard to MacOS. On Apple we will someday probably have a Proton-like solution. I wouldn't care too much about it, unless you have a game that heavily targets the MacBook Neo audience.

Open ##1284816
@PotMetPetunias@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-04-16 15:54

@queenofsquiggles I read Blender stopped MacOS support too, with version 5. There might be a trend...

Open ##1284817
@lunareclipse@snug.moe 2026-04-16 15:51

@queenofsquiggles on one hand you are potentially losing out on a whole market of like, the people that may be getting the macbook neos, but also, apple is just so hostile to everyone doing anything with their products I would consider it not worth it I've made pdftableextractor.lunareclipse.zone/ and the only platform I support RN is Flatpak/Linux because it would take too much effort to support platforms I don't use and I don't get paid for it

Open ##1284818
@eniko@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-04-16 15:46

@queenofsquiggles we do that and I absolutely do not regret it

Open ##1284819