Verdite
I know this has been asked several times in the past years and there even was pre-built Wineskin for playing it on macOS. Judging from people's replies in those threads it seems that file is no longer hosted and/or not compatible with newer versions of macOS.
So I decided to write this basic guide on how to do it, which works on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Macs and the latest macOS Ventura 13.2.1. It also does not require you to buy any additional software.
Get UTM
First, you will want to download UTM for macOS, which is a free and open-source virtual machine software designed specifically for macOS. If you have used stuff like VirtualBox, VMWare Fusion, or Parallels this is just like that. Except it's free and designed as a native macOS application. If you want to support the devs you can buy the Mac App Store version, but there is no additional functionality between the "paid" version and the free version.
Install this but do not create a virtual machine yet.
Download Windows ISO
You will need a Windows installation media, which will typically be an ISO file (disc image) or VXHD file (virtual hard drive). Since the new SCIW client is now 64-bit, you will want to use a 64-bit operating system. I recommend either Windows 10 or 11 for this.
Intel Macs (x86)
If you have an Intel-based Mac, you will want the x86-64 Windows images (select your preference):
Alternatively, you can use an older version of Windows if you prefer, as long as it supports 64-bit.
Apple Silicon (M1/M2)
If you have an Apple Silicon (ARM-based) Mac, you will need to get the arm64 builds of Windows from the Windows Insider Program, or UUP dump.
You will have to read a little bit on how to use the download script if you go the UUP route.
NOTE: Windows 11 ARM can emulate x86 programs running on it quite performantly!
Creating the Virtual Machine
Once you have your installation medium, either ISO or VHXD, you can create the virtual machine in UTM. Pick the Virtualize option, not the Emulate one!
Recommended settings:
- 4GB RAM
- 2 CPU Cores
- 64GB HDD
Feel free to modify these based on your own available resources, performance may vary if you reduce them.
You should see the installer go through the steps and prompt you for username, etc.
Bypassing Microsoft Account
I personally hate how Windows 11 tries to force you to "sign in" or "register" when setting up a new installation. On Windows 10, you can bypass this with the I don't have internet button but in Windows 11 it is curiously missing.
To bypass it in the Windows 11 installer, press SHIFT+F10 to bring up a Command Prompt window. Then type "OOBE\BYPASSNRO" (without the quotes) and press enter. It should reboot the installer and let you pick the missing I don't have internet option. Silly Microsoft.
Installing the VM Drivers
To get network access and better graphics support you will need to install the SPICE drivers within the Virtual Machine. You should see this automatically mounted as a USB drive D:\ in your Windows virtual machine. Run the installer there and reboot, you should have internet access and proper graphics scaling.
Installing the Game
From here on out the virtual machine functions just like you'd expect from a standard Windows computer. Open Edge, download the client and you're good to go!
As mentioned in the previous announcement for the 64-bit client you may need to install the MSVC Redistributable package.
Scale Factor
One downside is the UTM graphics driver does not support full screen, which may be a problem with small window/text size on a larger resolution screen.
The good part is on Windows 10 (and especially 11) you can right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings->Scale->150%. This will scale the game larger, even in windowed mode.
