How to Play Planet Zoo on Mac
- Sven Frese
- Games
- September 21, 2024
Planet Zoo lets you build and run a zoo down to the last enclosure. Frontier released it in 2019, but only for Windows. If you own a Mac, you can buy the game on Steam but not start it.
With CloudDeck you can play Planet Zoo on your Mac.
| Planet Zoo at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Frontier Developments |
| Steam release | Nov 5, 2019 |
| Mac version | No |
| Steam Deck rating by Valve | Playable |
| Player rating on ProtonDB | Gold (162 reports) |
| Steam reviews | Very Positive (about 98,000 reviews) |
| Disk space needed | 16 GB |
| Controller support | None listed on Steam |
Sources: Steam store page, ProtonDB, Are We Anti-Cheat Yet. Checked on October 1, 2026.
What you get with Planet Zoo
Planet Zoo comes from the makers of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon. You build habitats, look after the animals and keep your visitors happy. The game has a campaign that takes you around the world and a Sandbox mode without limits.
The base game has grown a lot since 2019. Steam lists 22 add-ons for it, and the Steam Workshop has habitats and whole zoos built by other players.
Play Planet Zoo on your Mac with CloudDeck
CloudDeck is a gaming PC in the cloud. Planet Zoo runs on our servers, and the picture is streamed to your Mac.
CloudDeck runs Windows games the same way Valve’s Steam Deck does. Valve rates Planet Zoo as Playable on the Steam Deck, and players on ProtonDB give it a Gold rating based on more than 160 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 Planet Zoo.
- Start the game and open your first zoo.
You need to own Planet Zoo 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. Planet Zoo is built for mouse and keyboard, and placing paths and fences with a trackpad takes patience.
The game is single-player. It needs 16 GB of disk space, and your zoos are saved to Steam Cloud.
Valve’s Steam Deck test found some interface text small on the Deck’s screen. On a laptop, a higher streaming resolution helps.
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.
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 Planet Zoo before you buy.
We haven’t tested Planet Zoo 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.
