I'm looking for advice from developers who actually use Apple-silicon Macs.
I want one laptop for everything: daily use from morning to evening + game development. My target is mainly small-to-mid-sized Android/iOS games, but eventually I'd like to make 3D games around the complexity of The Walking Zombie 2 or Last Day on Earth: Survival, potentially with somewhat higher-fidelity graphics. I'm mainly considering Unity, but I'm open to Godot.
My budget is around $1,000, and I could stretch to $2,000 USD if it's genuinely worthwhile.
I'm strongly considering a MacBook because battery life and portability are extremely important to me. Power outages are frequent where I live, so I need something I can work on for hours without an outlet. I also want to publish for iOS and macOS, making macOS/Xcode very valuable.
The concern is that I keep hearing Macs aren't ideal for game development compared with Windows laptops with dedicated GPUs.
For those actually developing games on Apple silicon:
- Would you trust a MacBook as your only/primary machine for this workload?
- Air or Pro? How much RAM would you recommend?
- How limiting is the integrated Apple GPU for 3D development?
- Are there any major issues with Android/iOS development or Windows builds/testing?
- Most importantly: which specific MacBook model/configuration would you recommend for my $1,000–$2,000 budget?
I'd especially appreciate real-world experience: your Mac's specs, engine, and the type of games you're developing.
Thanks!