How to download and install Steam on Mac
Steam for Mac is free and comes from Valve’s website as a small installer that downloads the rest by itself. Here is how to install it, how to tell which games run on a Mac and how to keep an eye on the space they take.
Steam
- Apple Silicon and Intel
- Free. Games are bought in the store
- Not every game runs on Mac
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (store.steampowered.com, cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask steamHomebrew 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
Steam itself runs on any current Mac, but each game has its own requirements. On a game’s store page, look for the Apple logo next to the price and open System Requirements › macOS: games without it are Windows-only and won’t start on a Mac.
Download Steam only from store.steampowered.com. Look-alike sites and «free games» offers are a common way to spread malware and steal Steam accounts.
How to install Steam
- Open
steam.dmgin your Downloads folder and accept the license agreement. - Drag Steam to the Applications folder.
- Eject the Steam disk: click the eject button next to it in the Finder sidebar.
- Open Steam from Applications and click Open when macOS asks about an app downloaded from the internet.
- Wait while Steam downloads and installs its update, then sign in or create an account.
If macOS offers to install Rosetta on a Mac with Apple Silicon, click Install: some games and older parts of Steam need it.
What to set up after the first launch
- Opening at login. Steam starts with your Mac by default. Turn it off in Steam › Settings › Interface, «Run Steam when my computer starts».
- Where games go. Games live in
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps. A single game can take tens of gigabytes. Steam › Settings › Storage shows them by size and lets you uninstall them. - Steam Guard. Turn on two-factor sign-in in the Steam mobile app: it protects your account and your games.
- The installer. Move
steam.dmgfrom Downloads to the Trash once Steam runs.
If Steam won’t install or a game won’t start
- Steam is stuck updating. Quit it, open it again and let the update finish. A slow connection makes the first update long.
- A game won’t start. Check that it supports macOS on its store page. Windows-only games need Windows in a virtual machine or a compatibility tool, and many still won’t run.
- Steam is broken after an update. Remove it completely and install it again: see how to uninstall Steam on Mac. Your purchases stay in your account.
Alternatives to Steam
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 Steam with its files if you no longer play.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Is Steam for Mac free?
Yes. Steam itself is free. You pay only for the games you buy. Free-to-play games are free to install too.
Can I play all my Steam games on a Mac?
No, only the ones made for macOS. A game you bought on Windows plays on a Mac only if its store page lists macOS.
Is Steam in the Mac App Store?
No. Valve distributes Steam for Mac only on its own website.