Blogger Andrew Tsai found out through actual measurements thatApple's entry-level MacBook Neo model equipped with an A18 Pro chip and 8GB of memory can actually run the just-released open-world masterpiece "Red Desert". Of course, the price is terrible picture quality.Although the gameplay and plot of "Red Desert" have been criticized, the game optimization is excellent and the hardware requirements are relatively friendly. The minimum configuration requirement of the official Mac version is an M2 Pro or M3 level chip, while the MacBook Neo's A18 Pro theoretically does not meet the standards.
According to actual measurement data, after turning on MetalFX super-resolution scaling and frame generation technology, MacBook Neo ran an average frame rate of nearly 50 FPS at the very low preset.
Of course, this smoothness comes at the expense of image quality. Andrew Tsai adjusted the image quality to the lowest preset, turned on MetalFX oversampling to stretch from 180p to 540p, and enabled the frame generation function. Finally, he recorded an average performance of about 50 frames.
Although it is not an exaggeration to describe the picture details as horrific, with the support of the A18 Pro chip's hardware-accelerated mesh shaders (Mesh Shaders), its actual performance is close to that of the M1 chip.
Andrew Tsai pointed out that if players pursue a relatively clear picture, they can increase the resolution and lock it at 30FPS, and use frame generation technology to still get a passable gaming experience.
It is true that MacBook Neo is by no means a gaming laptop, but it can drive this AAA masterpiece with only 8GB of memory. On the one hand, it proves that the potential of Apple’s mobile chips has been underestimated. On the other hand, it also shows the degree of optimization of the hardware by developer Pearl Abyss.