How to download and install GOG Galaxy on Mac
GOG Galaxy is GOG’s free app for installing and updating games from GOG.com, the store of DRM-free games, and for gathering games from other platforms in one library. Here is which Macs it runs on, how to install it and what to check after the first launch.
GOG Galaxy
- macOS 14 or later
- Apple Silicon only
- Free. Games are bought on GOG
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (gog.com, gog-cdn-fastly.gog.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask gog-galaxyHomebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.
No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.
Before you download
GOG says GOG Galaxy needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and the current app is built for Macs with Apple Silicon only. Install the latest macOS update first: the app itself asks for Sonoma 14.8 or later. Check both in Apple menu › About This Mac: you need Chip with Apple M1 or later.
GOG Galaxy is optional. GOG games have no copy protection, so on any Mac, an Intel one included, you can download a game’s offline installer from your library on gog.com in the browser and keep it.
Download GOG Galaxy only from gog.com: the installer is a .pkg that installs with administrator rights.
How to install GOG Galaxy
- Open
galaxy_client_….pkgin your Downloads folder. - Click Continue, accept the license agreement and click Install.
- Enter your Mac password and click Install Software. The installer also adds a background service that installs and updates games.
- When the installer is done, click Close. GOG Galaxy appears in Applications.
- Open GOG Galaxy and sign in to your GOG account or create one.
What to set up after the first launch
- Other platforms. GOG Galaxy can show games from other stores in the same library: connect them in the app’s settings, under integrations.
- Disk space. Each game takes from hundreds of megabytes to tens of gigabytes. Uninstall the ones you finished from the app’s library.
- Opening at login. If GOG Galaxy starts with your Mac and you don’t want it to, turn it off in System Settings › General › Login Items.
- The installer. Move the
.pkgfrom Downloads to the Trash once GOG Galaxy runs.
If GOG Galaxy won’t install or open
- The installer refuses to run. Check your macOS version and chip in About This Mac: the current GOG Galaxy needs Apple Silicon and an up-to-date macOS 14 or later.
- «GOG Galaxy is damaged and can’t be opened». The download was incomplete. Delete the file and download it again from
gog.com/galaxy. - A game won’t start. Check on its store page that it supports macOS: many GOG games are for Windows only.
Alternatives to GOG Galaxy
Keep your Mac tidy
Games and their caches take the most space of all. System Junk in MacWashing finds the caches apps build up, and the Uninstaller removes GOG Galaxy with its background service if you no longer need it.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Is GOG Galaxy free?
Yes. GOG Galaxy is free. You pay only for the games you buy on GOG. Some games on GOG are free too.
Is GOG Galaxy in the Mac App Store?
No. GOG Galaxy for Mac comes only from gog.com, or from Homebrew. To use it you need a free GOG account.
Do I need GOG Galaxy to play GOG games?
No. GOG games come without copy protection: you can download their offline installers from your library on gog.com and play without the app, on an Intel Mac too. Galaxy adds automatic updates and one library for all your games.