Guide for Mac Users after Patch (BfA)

Community General Discussion
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As some of you noticed Blizzard has made some significant changes when it comes to graphics settings. As far as I understand it's because they removed or switched some of the DirectX stuff etc. Some Mac User started threads explaining their issues and I often saw some blue post linking to an explanation that it's because of the changes of DirectX. First of all: MacOS runs Metal which is independent of Direct X. I am not a super dev guy but I made my experience with Macs and as far as I understand the problem is that the devs removed an option for Windows User that made the life for us Mac User way more complicated - unnecessarily.

I'll try to explain it simply and deliver a solution, that's maybe not the best overall but it will make your experience with the game way better - as it was with 7.3.5 or at least close to it.

EXPLANATION
First, let me clarify how our Macs works. I assume that most of the people are using a Retina display (iMac or MacBook Pro). I will use my MacBook Pro 13-inch (2016, with Touch Bar) as an example to explain the issue.

My default screen resolution is 1680x1050 (see System Preferences > Displays). If you want to know what yours is, check the settings. If "Default for display" is selected, change it to "Scaled" and hover your mouse pointer over "Default". You will see your resolution on the left side below the Mac.

Here is the trick. Even I am using 1680x1050 it's not the native resolution.
The actual resolution is 2x the size - in my case 3360x2100. The reason why everything (especially text) looks so nice on your screen is that it gets rendered twice the size and then scaled down. With 7.3.5 we had the option to play in "Window Mode (fullscreen)" or whatever it was called. So whenever we started the game, our screen went from rendering in 2x to 1x and only displaying the resolution you have selected. I will explain it below with my setup.

EXAMPLE
7.3.5
• My macOS resolution is at 1680x1050 (2x = 3360x2100).
• I played WoW in Window Mode (Fullscreen) with 1680x1050 (1x = 1680x1050)
• Useful Info: 1680x1050px = 1,764,000px
• Always 60fps

As soon as I started WoW my screen switched from 2x to 1x mode and rendered just the resolution I selected. The GPU had to take care of 1,764,000 pixels.

8.0.1
• My macOS resolution is at 1680x1050 (2x = 3360x2100).
• I had to play WoW in Fullscreen with 2880x1800 (1x = 2880x1800)
• Useful Info: 2880x1800px = 5,184,000px
• Around 20fps (35fps with 50% resolution scale)

Even if I would scale down the now called "resolution scale, the screen is still running full resolution in the background (2880x1800) and just decreasing graphics quality. So the GPU has still to take care of all the pixels and that's what kills the fun. And the graphics quality still looked like !@#$.

Anyway. We'll leave the tech stuff to the pros and just go on to the workaround. That's what matters in the end.

SOLUTION/WORKAROUND

Edit: There is another way without a 3rd party app. Navigate to "Application" and open your WoW folder. Select "World of Warcraft.app" and press "cmd+i". Check "Open in Low Resolution". The other way might still be a better option if you are looking for a specific resolution.

ALTERNATIVE
1. Download "EasyRes" (google for easyresapp) and install it on your Mac.
2. Start the app and it will display a little icon in the menu bar (top right).
3. Click on it, hover with your pointer over the screen and see which option is selected. (Probably something within the "Retina 2x" section.)
4. If your resolution is, for example, 1440x900 (Retina 2x) change it to 1440x900 (Standard 1x) or the resolution you want to play with.
5. Your screen will refresh itself for a second and it's done.
6. Start Wow and go into the settings.
7. Select "Fullscreen" and apply.
8. The resolution field should be greyed out.
9. Set "Resolution scale to 100%".
10. Log in and enjoy.

Once you finish playing you can change the Resolution back to 2x but remember using it again before starting WoW. I know it's not perfect and not a longterm solution but at least it's something and very easy. If you had different settings before try also different resolutions and see what's running best for you. Most important you select a resolution within the "Standard 1x" otherwise your GPU will render double and die.

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To be honest, the easiest way to understand the problem is to take a screenshot. Start Wow without applying my solution. Set it to Fullscreen and whatever resolution you want to use. Log in and take a screen (cmd+shift+3). Afterwards, change it to the stuff I wrote and take a screenshot again. Now compare the two screenshots (cmd+i). If you run WoW with the wrong settings the screenshot size will be above 3000x2000+ and if you apply my method the size will be somewhere around 1440x900 - 1680x1050 (depending on your selected resolution).


I hope I could help you and enjoy playing the game!
1 Like
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Not a Mac user myself (at the moment), but have a Like from me for trying to help. Good stuff!
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This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.

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18/07/2018 13:26Posted by Fersa
Gonna try this in a bit and let u know if it works for me, thanks


Same, gonna be home in 2 hours. Will try it and post the results
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They should ditch DX and properly support OpenGL so we can have a native Linux client whilst also keeping compatibility with Windows and Mac.

I know it ain't ever happening, but a Gnome can dream
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18/07/2018 13:27Posted by Addicto
18/07/2018 13:26Posted by Fersa
Gonna try this in a bit and let u know if it works for me, thanks


Same, gonna be home in 2 hours. Will try it and post the results


I got back home and tried it. IT WORKS!!!

Thanks a lot mate! :)
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Thank you so much! I was thinking that was it, my Macs were going to be useless for WoW @20fps. Resolution of text sucks (I just went for the the native option not the app) but at least the FPS is a constant 60.

Sucks as I was getting 60FPS mostly before they mucked about with it :-(

EDIT: Scratch that: just downloaded EasyRes - WAY better solution! Thanks again!
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18/07/2018 14:25Posted by Addicto

I got back home and tried it. IT WORKS!!!
Thanks a lot mate! :)

Happy to help!

18/07/2018 14:30Posted by Ivankar
Thank you so much! I was thinking that was it, my Macs were going to be useless for WoW @20fps. Resolution of text sucks (I just went for the the native option not the app) but at least the FPS is a constant 60.

Sucks as I was getting 60FPS mostly before they mucked about with it :-(
Do you remember your settings from before the patch? What is your dekstop resolution and ingame? And what's your device? iMac or MacBook?

-

For everybody else: I think the "Low Resolution Mode" is a good way if your desktop resolution is the same as your ingame resolution. Just make sure to set the "resolution scale" to 100% ingame.
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I would like to add that using an app to change the resolution is way better than selecting "Open in Low Resolution", not only for selecting between more options but also because opening in lower res (at least for me) causes more visual glitches (like a strange shadow on the cursor).

However I'm still hoping they bring back fullscreen option to mac, it is way easier than changing the resolution all the time.
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Does it work windows?
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I wish us non-dx12 windows users had a way to get Fullscreen back too :(
I use windows 7 (by choice) and am getting this windowed mode forced on me, along with the performance loss...
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18/07/2018 13:28Posted by Krillsey
They should ditch DX and properly support OpenGL so we can have a native Linux client whilst also keeping compatibility with Windows and Mac.

I know it ain't ever happening, but a Gnome can dream


Apple ditched OpenGL and that is why WoW is Metal now.
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One Bump so more players can see it.
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I don't know who's decision was it to remove Full-Screen support completely, but this way, the game is completely unenjoyable to me... I'm playing on a 2016 MacBookPro, ran Legion with ease, but now I'm stuck around 30-35 FPS with the same settings.

Had high hopes for BFA, but if the situation stays like this, it's going to be difficult to keep up my interest..
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8.0.1
• My macOS resolution is at 1680x1050 (2x = 3360x2100).
• I had to play WoW in Fullscreen with 2880x1800 (1x = 2880x1800)
• Useful Info: 2880x1800px = 5,184,000px
• Around 20fps (35fps with 50% resolution scale)


Apologies if I am being stupid here, but I only have the option for Windowed or Windowed (Fullscreen) in 8.01, the latter I have to choose resolution scale. I could swear this wasn't the case in 7.3.5 where I thought it was fullscreen and you chose the resolution.

So you say the reason for the lower FPS is because unlike previously it is still rendering the desktop and other apps at retina resolution? This is the difference in how the games are run between fullscreen, which seems no longer an option, and windowed mode I guess?

That said ever since Legion came out even when it was set to Fullscreen has anyone else noticed that when switching apps or do desktop no longer caused the resolution to change back to the native (for me from 3200x to 2560x) or the game to hide? This seems similar to the Windowed Fullscreen mode we now have, except as you have explained Reelo this now means our GFX card is rendering both resolutions and/or the retina resolution.

Thank you for helping me understand this either way, I will certainly give this a try tonight!

EDIT: As an alternative to EasyRes I can suggest SwitchResX, although it's not free. However it does allow you to switch the resolution when launching an app instead of havin to manually change it each time.
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Maybe someone should set up Mac UseR and Linux Optimization Community?
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18/07/2018 18:40Posted by Someoneelse
18/07/2018 13:28Posted by Krillsey
They should ditch DX and properly support OpenGL so we can have a native Linux client whilst also keeping compatibility with Windows and Mac.

I know it ain't ever happening, but a Gnome can dream


Apple ditched OpenGL and that is why WoW is Metal now.


Ahh, explains things. I'm not an Apple person and don't own anything other than a iPad for work purposes.
Real shame.
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Legend <3
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The infamous Apple double-resolving just for shinier icons. Never gets old.
But nice of you to break this down for everyone to enjoy their gaming experience to the best.
Have a like.
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18/07/2018 13:11Posted by Reelo
Edit: There is another way without a 3rd party app. Navigate to "Application" and open your WoW folder. Select "World of Warcraft.app" and press "cmd+i". Check "Open in Low Resolution". The other way might still be a better option if you are looking for a specific resolution.


Hi this is works, but i have a 4k display xonnected to my 2017 macbooc pro, and have. to change the resolution in settings from 4k to 2560px before launch the game to have the 60 fps. Is that possible to fix it macOS runs wow ONLY in tha resolution? It not too good change it always. When i run it without change res, it sets 4k automatically :(