Downloading Windows Exclusive Games on Mac Steam

[Tem_Tem]

I've recently installed an emulator to run Windows Steam on my Mac which allows me to install, however not download, games. If I want to run a Windows game on the emulator I need to have downloaded the game from Steam on MacOS. The problem with this is that some games, even though incompatible with MacOS, can be downloaded whereas other games (Like Vic2 and Space Engineers) won't allow me to download them whatsoever.

Is it possible to download these games anyway? I don't expect them to run on MacOS but I need to download them regardless in order to install them on the emulator to play.

P.S: I am using PlayOnMac to emulate Steam and this works as intended, I do not need help with emulation nor is installing Windows a viable solution.

[DD65]

To play the windows versions of Steam games you need the windows version of Steam, same goes for Epic Games games etc.
So what you need to do is download the windows version of Steam and get it up and running with PlayOnMac, then use the windows Steam client to run (and install) your windows Steam games.

[Tem_Tem]

Originally posted by DD65:

To play the windows versions of Steam games you need the windows version of Steam, same goes for Epic Games games etc.
So what you need to do is download the windows version of Steam and get it up and running with PlayOnMac, then use the windows Steam client to run (and install) your windows Steam games.

The version of Windows Steam ran on PlayOnMac is odd in that, for whatever reason, it cannot run the Steam browser. It seems either the browser is disabled with the configuration argument "wine steam.exe -no-browser +open steam://open/minigameslist" or the screen remains blank. This means I cannot download games on the version Windows Steam ran on PlayOnMac. Internet connection doesn't seem to be the cause of this problem as I can install games and see friends online.

I've been following this fairly old tutorial up until this point:

YouTube™ Video: How to play 32-Bit / Unsupported Steam Games on Mac OS Catalina | Easiest Method 

Views: 642,309

I've seen a bunch of really convoluted tutorials on how to run unsupported / 32-bit Steam games on MacOS Catalina, and even lots of posts saying it's not possible and you should install Windows via...

. There are some comments with updated info that helped a lot also.

Thanks for your advice and quick response though!

[Beetroot Bertie]

I've not used PlayOnMac for a long time but maybe you'll have some luck with Porting Kit instead?

https://www.portingkit.com/

It's also a WINE-based solution to running WIndows-based apps and games etc. Maybe its default steam installation will work without the hiccups you're having with Play On Mac?

[Tem_Tem]

Originally posted by Beetroot Bertie:

I've not used PlayOnMac for a long time but maybe you'll have some luck with Porting Kit instead?

https://www.portingkit.com/

It's also a WINE-based solution to running WIndows-based apps and games etc. Maybe its default steam installation will work without the hiccups you're having with Play On Mac?

I've downloaded Porting Kit and installed Windows Steam on it but I'm running into the same problem where I cannot run any games I haven't already downloaded on MacOS Steam.

Thanks for the suggestion though, Porting Kit runs much faster than PlayOnMac and doesn't have the same problems with loading the Steam browser.

[Beetroot Bertie]

I don't know if it will help with it being a new Steam installation but you could try going to the Windows Steam client settings > Downloads, and clear the download cache. Maybe do the same in the preferences of the Mac Steam client too.

Perhaps log out of both the Mac client and the Windows client and then just log back in to the windows client via porting kit. Any previously purchased Steam games should be downloadable through the windows client (in an ideal world).

[AdventRiP]

Originally posted by DD65:

To play the windows versions of Steam games you need the windows version of Steam, same goes for Epic Games games etc.
So what you need to do is download the windows version of Steam and get it up and running with PlayOnMac, then use the windows Steam client to run (and install) your windows Steam games.

Appreciate ya my friend!

[The 3 Whites]

>Is it possible to download these games anyway?

Another way would be to use steamcmd ,a command line steam version, which can force downloads for a specific system.

[Cathulhu]

Which would still require a Windows version of Steam to run. Just downloading the game doesn't do it.

[sparr]

SteamCMD is available for MacOS. Download instructions at https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD#macOS and cross platform game install instructions at https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD#Cross-Platform_Installation

[alexmaru]

Originally posted by DD65:

To play the windows versions of Steam games you need the windows version of Steam, same goes for Epic Games games etc.
So what you need to do is download the windows version of Steam and get it up and running with PlayOnMac, then use the windows Steam client to run (and install) your windows Steam games.

Some games, what didn't have DRM, could be launched as basic app, without Steam (thats why people love GOG)

[derinjonah]

I use a program called Whisky which can create its in C: drive and run the windows version of Steam and download the games. Its free and really easy to use

[abhumansoul]

Originally posted by sparr:

SteamCMD is available for MacOS. Download instructions at https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD#macOS and cross platform game install instructions at https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD#Cross-Platform_Installation

This only allows you to install, not run. You cannot "sign in" to SteamCMD in a way that the Steam API will recogniaze, meaning you can't play any games