How to Play Age of Empires IV on Mac
- Sven Frese
- Games
- March 25, 2025
Age of Empires IV came out in 2021, and Mac users have been left out ever since. The game runs on Windows, Xbox and PlayStation 5. A Mac version was never released.
With CloudDeck you can play Age of Empires IV on your Mac.
| Age of Empires IV at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Developer | World's Edge, Relic Entertainment |
| Steam release | Oct 28, 2021 |
| Mac version | No |
| Steam Deck rating by Valve | Playable |
| Player rating on ProtonDB | Gold (357 reports) |
| Steam reviews | Very Positive (about 96,000 reviews) |
| Disk space needed | 50 GB |
| Controller support | Full |
Sources: Steam store page, ProtonDB, Are We Anti-Cheat Yet. Checked on October 1, 2026.
What you get with the Anniversary Edition
The Anniversary Edition is the version sold on Steam today. It was introduced in October 2022 for the series’ 25th anniversary and added two civilizations, the Malians and the Ottomans, along with new maps.
You get historical campaigns, skirmish matches against the computer and online multiplayer. There are 8 add-on packs on Steam.
Play Age of Empires IV on your Mac with CloudDeck
CloudDeck is a gaming PC in the cloud. It runs the game and streams it to your Mac, so you don’t need Windows.
CloudDeck uses the same technology as Valve’s Steam Deck to run Windows games. Valve rates Age of Empires IV as Playable on the Steam Deck. On ProtonDB, where players report how well games run, it has a Gold rating based on more than 350 reports.
Here is how to get started:
- Create your CloudDeck account and start your subscription.
- Install Moonlight , a free streaming app, on your Mac and connect to your CloudDeck.
- Log in to Steam and install Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition.
- Start the game and play with mouse and keyboard.
You need to own Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition on Steam. CloudDeck is available in Europe, the United States and Canada. The streaming app needs macOS 10.13 or newer.
Our help center has a step-by-step guide with screenshots for connecting with Moonlight.
Tips for playing on a Mac
Use a mouse. The game supports controllers, but a real-time strategy game plays best with mouse and keyboard.
Valve’s Steam Deck test found some interface text hard to read on a small screen. On a laptop, a higher streaming resolution helps.
The game needs 50 GB of disk space.
Set the right resolution. If you see black bars above and below the picture, the stream doesn't match your screen. For most MacBooks we recommend 1680x1050. Our guide on removing black bars shows where to set it.
Check your keyboard layout. CloudDeck starts with a US keyboard layout. If you use a German, French or other keyboard, some keys won't match until you change the layout.
If the picture stutters, connect your Mac by cable or 5 GHz Wi-Fi and turn off location services in macOS. There are more tips in our guide on lag and stutters.
To end a session, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q in Moonlight.
What about multiplayer?
Age of Empires IV has online matches and co-op, and PC players can play together with Xbox and PlayStation 5 players.
We haven’t tested online multiplayer on CloudDeck.
Other ways to play on a Mac
CrossOver is an app that runs some Windows games directly on your Mac, without streaming. It is a paid app with a 14-day free trial. CodeWeavers keeps a compatibility database where you can look up the current rating for Age of Empires IV before you buy. This is a modern 3D game, so how well it runs depends on your Mac.
We haven’t tested Age of Empires IV with CrossOver. It runs the game on your own Mac, so it costs less in the long run if it works for you. CloudDeck is the better choice if you want to skip the setup, or if you also want to play Windows games that need more power than your Mac has.
What it costs
CloudDeck costs $19.99 per month, and you can cancel anytime. We don't offer a free trial. If you're not happy and have used your CloudDeck for less than 4 hours, we'll refund you. You can sign up here.
