Getting Started
Requirements
Minimum and recommended Mac requirements for MoltenVR: which Apple Silicon chip, memory, macOS version, and VR headset you need to play PCVR games on a Mac.Before installing MoltenVR, make sure your Mac, headset, and software environment meet the requirements below. Most setups need nothing beyond the app itself; optional dependencies are only required for USB streaming and in-game audio routing.
Minimum & Recommended Specs
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M1 | Apple M3 or newer, or any M-series Pro / Max / Ultra |
| Unified memory | 8 GB | 16 GB on M3/M4 · 24 GB on M1/M2 |
| macOS | macOS 14 Sonoma | Latest macOS release |
| Headset connection | 5 GHz Wi-Fi | USB cable, or 5 GHz Wi-Fi with the Mac on Ethernet |
The minimum spec runs lighter titles like Beat Saber and Minecraft (Vivecraft) well. Demanding PCVR games such as Half-Life: Alyx benefit strongly from the recommended tier, because more unified memory matters: the game, Wine, the D3D11→Metal translation layer, and the video encoder all share it.
An M1, M2, M3, or M4 Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. MoltenVR uses Apple's VideoToolbox hardware encoder and Metal graphics API, both of which require Apple Silicon.
VR HeadsetAny headset running the ALVR client v20.14.0. MoltenVR has been tested on Meta Quest 3. Install the ALVR client APK from the official GitHub release before connecting.
Wine BottleNo separate Wine installation is needed. MoltenVR includes its own managed WhiskyWine/GPTK bottle, set up automatically by the wizard. Existing bottles from Whisky (frankea fork), CrossOver, or Wineskin are also supported.
macOS PermissionsMoltenVR requires Screen Recording permission (for the desktop view feature) and Microphone permission (for game audio routing). macOS will prompt for both on first use.
Optional Dependencies
USB Streaming: install android-platform-tools via Homebrew to enable 100 Mbps wired streaming over USB:
brew install android-platform-tools
Game Audio: install BlackHole 2ch (the audio loopback driver) and switchaudio-osx (for automatic audio device switching):
brew install --cask blackhole-2ch && brew install switchaudio-osx