Apple’s latest Silicon lineup is turning heads with a significant leap in gaming performance. The highlight is the M4 Max, featuring a robust 16-core CPU and an impressive 40-core GPU. This powerhouse reportedly ran Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition at 120 frames per second—a testament to its capabilities. However, the details on video settings used remain a bit of a mystery. Given the demands of path tracing, it’s unlikely this setting was active at such high framerates.
While specific specs for the M4 Max weren’t disclosed, it’s possible that the 40-core GPU configuration played a crucial role in achieving this performance. A demonstration at Apple Park showcased the M4 Max delivering approximately 120FPS under ultra settings. This upcoming release promises advanced features like path tracing, frame generation, and spatial audio. It’s important to note that ‘ultra’ settings aren’t the same as ‘max’ settings, possibly allowing the M4 Max some room to maneuver.
Apple’s MetalFX upscaling likely contributed to this framerate boost, though details on the settings are sparse. Both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models boast high resolutions, with the lowest being 3,024 x 1,964 pixels. Running Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition at native resolution without upscaling on ultra settings would likely lead to underwhelming performance, making upscaling essential.
WWDC 2025 introduced macOS Tahoe 26 and enhancements to the Metal 4 graphics API, including frame generation—a feature that inserts an extra frame to smooth out gameplay. The M4 Max’s 120FPS performance suggests frame generation was in play. In comparison, when Cyberpunk 2077 was tested on a laptop RTX 4090 with max settings and enhanced features like DLSS and path tracing, performance ranged between 60FPS and 80FPS.
This suggests that the M4 Max managed 120FPS without path tracing, likely enabled by frame generation. As we await the game’s launch, surprises from Apple and CD PROJEKT RED are always possible. Stay tuned for future updates.
