The only ones that are different are the intel macs with dedicated GPUs like mine with an RX6600XT or my other one with a Radeon Pro W6800X 32GB (which is paired with a W3275M Xeon 28 core)
It should be different, the M4 Pro should easily beat the RX6600XT and an old Xeon X5690
Stable 120 frames with an M4 Pro at a high profile and 4K resolution. Ultra should also be possible.
Merry Christmas to all, update on Ultra profile for Mac. I asked Eric on the group ride today when we will see this and as per the attached screenshot we can expect it by end of winter (USA) 2025.
If I remember he said something about rowing coming to Zwift, too.
Haha yes I do too. Fortunately this is way easier.
That’s nice but I’ll believe it when I see it.
I use an old 6 core Xeon (3.46ghz) machine with an RX6600XT Radeon as the GPU. It’s quick enough for Zwift but a modern M4 Mac should be way better - if only for the lack of Ultra profile.
If it ever happens I might get an M4 mini or an M4 studio when that is released and retire the old machine and get back some space.
I have a 720p 60hz TV, so that caps what the Mac Mini M2 I have shows.
According to Zwiftalizer, it does put out the High profile.
I imagine that a 1440p monitor would greatly imporove the Zwift experience.
Would a 120Hz or 180Hz monitor make a huge difference, or should I just go with a monitor at 1440p or 2160p at 60Hz?
Doubtful you need to go for 120hz or higher.
Just get a 4K screen (or even a 4K TV screen, what I use). I can use that with an M2 Macbook Air on Zwift without bother, I just need the USB-C to HDMI dongle because the M2 Air has only very few ports on it.
You should even be able to run a 5120x2880 screen without problem if you needed to use that computer for things other than Zwift (ie, work). It won’t do Zwift a lot of good but other for applications those screens are great (really sharp).
Resolution: As you increase resolution, there’s a noticeable but marginal improvement when transitioning from lower resolutions. After you mentioned this, I retested some lower-end resolutions versus my usual 2160p. If you’re not breaking the bank, why not? Technology always gets better. Gamers will probably notice the difference more than fitness enthusiasts.
Refresh Rate: Zwift is a relatively low-intensity, visually simple environment compared to fast-paced games, so I don’t perceive a huge difference switching between 30Hz, 60Hz, and 120Hz, and you pay more as you increase refresh rate. I run it at 120Hz because it’s the native refresh rate of my screen. By the way, I use a multi 50 inches screen setup for work, and I leverage one of those screens while training -otherwise, probably, I would be happy with much less. For me, reliability is the key!
My bias is that Zwift was designed with a stronger emphasis on functionality and accessibility rather than creating a photorealistic, high-definition world. As a result, there are limits to how much you can improve the graphics, even with top-notch hardware.
Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts.
I’ll probably stick with my 32" 720p 60Hz monitor for a while.
It does the job, and I get the High graphics profile from Zwift with the Mac Mini M2.
Dan you can get such a nice experience by just upgrading to a 4k display. You already have the M2 to drive it 4k
Go up to 4K, if anything the extra resolution will make macOS a little nicer and sharper to use.
720P is pretty low these days.
Macbook Pro M1 16GB here … Running on an external Monitor in 4K UHD, perfectly smooth … Don‘t see the problem here.
Only hiccup is that at this time all Macs are assigned the High graphics profile. Ultra is reserved for PC’s.
Not to confuse Ultra graphics profile with Ultra resolution (4K)
For the current M series true, but excludes some of the Intel powered ones with dedicated GPUs.
I can’t say exactly all the ones get Ultra, but I know at least these types on Macs do get Ultra profile because I’ve tested these four and verified them myself:
Radeon Pro W6800X 32GB (I requested for this one to be added, and it was)
Radeon RX6600XT 8GB
Radeon RX580 8GB (probably also the Radeon Pro 580X, it’s almost the same card)
AMD Firepro D700 3GB (yes, oddly enough - I have tested it and it does get Ultra, but it barely manages)
I would guess the 2020 Intel iMacs should also get it, they had usually 5500 or 5700XT Radeons. They also had up to i9 processors and lots of RAM.
The RX 6400 also gets Ultra…I asked for it…9 months later received notification that it was added. I have not tested. I cannot be bothered with the Drivers (PITA compared to nVidia) and I had already moved on to the 4060 Low Profile card.
I have an M4 Pro Mac mini now. 12 core CPU and 16 core GPU and 24gb ram.
It’s not giving quite as sharp graphics as the old Mac Pro with RX6600XT but it’s fairly close.
The big difference is machine is so small. 600g weight versus 10kg+.
Hey all - please note these changes coming in this week’s phased release of game version 1.83.
Thank you very much! Very glad to hear it.
