14 DAY TRIAL // For a while now, a number of Mac users have been reporting strange behavior from a visual standpoint when playing games, after updating to Mac OS X 10.6.4, the latest major update to the Snow Leopard operating system. Apple is on track to address these problems in a standalone graphics update, according to the latest developments reported by testers.
A “Snow Leopard Graphics Update” labeled build 10F2074 has recently been seeded to select Apple developers, several reports have confirmed this week. Cupertino informed its code savvy testers that “The Snow Leopard Graphics Update contains general fixes that enhance the stability and reliability of graphics applications and games.” Developers are encouraged to refer to the seed note for more details and instructions on how to apply the update. Weighing in at 65.6 MB, the disk image (DMG file) was handed to developers on August 4, 2010.
In what is undoubtedly related to the issues experienced by Mac gamers following the release of Mac OS X 10.6.4, a warning posted in June on the Steampowered.com forums saw Valve signaling that Apple’s Mac OS X 10.6.4 software update affected “high performance games” on Macs equipped with Nvidia graphics. Valve is one of the most prominent game developers out there. The studio recently launched the Mac version of Steam, its popular gaming platform.
Valve claimed to have noticed performance issues with graphically-intensive video games running on Macs equipped with Nvidia solutions and running Mac OS X 10.6.4. Entitled “10.6.4 Performance Issues for Nvidia Users,” Valve’s forum post stated that, “The recent 10.6.4 update from Apple has noticeable performance issues for NVidia graphic chip owners running high performance games.” A company representative offered some advice to those running high spec-demanding titles, saying, “If you wish to avoid this, you should consider waiting to install the 10.6.4 update until Apple has had the opportunity to address this issue.”