14 DAY TRIAL // Tantalizing headline, isn’t it? It almost sounds too good to be true if you ask some avid gamers. But I can assure you that it’s not. I mean, it is true.
All you need to do to play your favorite shooter, racing game or plain old Flappy Bird is OS X Yosemite. That’s it. Oh, and the USB cable that came with your iPhone or iPad.
Granted, AirPlay mirroring will also get you there. As will some third-party apps. But these are tedious solutions. For those of you who want a simple plug-and-play affair, hit up the paragraphs below. You won’t regret it.
Remember, you need to be on OS X 10.10 Yosemite, so if you’re unsure what your OS version is at this point, just stop and hit the Apple menu, then choose About This Mac. If your OS version isn’t 10.10, but something lower, hit the Mac App Store and download Yosemite for free. That is, if you’re sure about upgrading your Mac.
Also worth noting is that this doesn’t just apply to games. You can also use these steps to make video tutorials of things happening on your iOS device’s screen. But if you’re reading this, chances are that you’re in it for the games. So, without further ado...
How to play any iOS game on your Mac
(screenshots below)
Step 1: Grab your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and connect it to your Mac using the USB cable that came in the box with your iDevice. You’ll be using the device like a controller, just so you know where this tutorial is headed.
Step 2: Launch QuickTime on your Mac. The app will default the video feed to your Mac’s built-in iSight, so you should be staring at your Mug right now.
Step 3: Notice the small arrow pointing downwards next to the red record button in the middle (at the bottom of the QuickTime image preview window). Click it and choose the name of your iDevice from that list (i.e. Rob’s iPhone).
Step 4: Step 4 is enjoying your iOS games on your Mac. Hit the green traffic light on the QuickTime video window and the thing will go full screen. Boom! You’ve officially turned your Mac into a gaming console.
If you’ve always wanted to play racing and fighting games on your iDevice but couldn’t because your fingers were constantly covering the action on screen, you’ll instantly see the benefit of using your Mac as a display for your iOS titles. Happy gaming!
