8BitDo Ultimate 2C Wireless Controller
Hall-effect sticks and L4/R4 bumpers with low-latency 2.4G dongle for 60 FPS Sync Attacks and Legion positioning.
AC-Recomp Apple Silicon macOS Preview Guide
Looking to run Astral Chain natively on an M1, M2, M3, M4, or M5 Mac? While captainj-sparrow/astral-chain-pc-recomp targets Windows and Linux x86_64, a separate open-source project, swaymun/AC-Recomp (v0.1.0), compiles an Apple Silicon ARM64 macOS app bundle over MoltenVK (Vulkan on Metal). Know its exact early-preview boundaries before starting setup.
M1-M5 NativeARM64 macOS 13+ bundle via MoltenVK & SDL3
1.0.0 Base OnlyRequires unpatched 1.0.0 NSP (no 1.0.1 update)
File 01 PreviewBoots intro, character creator & highway chase
AC-Recomp (macOS) vs Astral Chain Recomp (PC/Linux)
Because the two projects do not share save formats, INI files, or required game update versions, check this matrix carefully before preparing your files.
| Dimension | AC-Recomp (macOS Apple Silicon) | Astral Chain Recomp (Windows & Linux) |
|---|---|---|
| Repository & author | swaymun/AC-Recomp (independent community project; AI-assisted development disclosed in README) | captainj-sparrow/astral-chain-pc-recomp (with @capibawa) |
| Latest release & date | v0.1.0 (2026-10-19): .dmg (4,899,799 B) & .zip (2,282,677 B) | 1.18.0 (2026-11-15): Windows .zip (222.6 MB) & Linux .AppImage (243.2 MB) |
| Runtime architecture | SuperMarioWonderRecomp base + 27 patches (runtime/patches/series.macos) + MoltenVK + SDL3 | totk-pc-recomp Vulkan 1.3 runtime + LAS Recomp CPU lifter + llvm-mingw |
| Playability & saves | Early technical preview: reaches File 01 motorcycle chase at 30 FPS on M5 Pro; saving/reloading untested; not completable yet | Playable start-to-credits: full campaign, synced 60 FPS combat & cutscenes, ending credits fix in 1.18.0 |
| Required game dump | Base game 1.0.0 in NSP format only (01007300020fa000); rejects 1.0.1 update | Base game 1.0.0 (XCI or NSP) plus 1.0.1 update (NSP) |
| Toolchain setup | Downloads/uses Xcode CLT, Homebrew (molten-vk, sdl3, opus, spirv-tools), Python 3.11+, and .NET 10 SDK during first build | 100% self-contained setup archive; zero external SDKs or compilers required |
Installing AC-Recomp v0.1.0 on macOS 13+ (M1-M5)
Ensure ~25 GB of free SSD space and an active internet connection for the first-run dependency fetch.
Option A: GUI App
DMG Wizard & Gatekeeper
Download AC-Recomp-v0.1.0-macos.dmg, verify SHA-256 e71aa3922b8d9645..., and drag AC-Recomp Setup.app to Applications. Because the app is not notarized with an Apple Developer ID, macOS Gatekeeper blocks the first launch: on macOS 15 Sequoia+ open System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Open Anyway, or clear quarantine in Terminal:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/AC-Recomp Setup.app"
Option B: Terminal Kit
CLI Setup Script (.zip)
Prefer full terminal visibility? Extract AC-Recomp-v0.1.0-macos.zip (SHA-256 891337ae4621fa54...) and pass your unpatched 1.0.0 base NSP and console keys directly to setup.sh:
unzip AC-Recomp-v0.1.0-macos.zip
cd AC-Recomp
./setup.sh --nsp "/path/to/Astral Chain [01007300020fa000][v0].nsp" --keys ~/.switch/prod.keys
Experimental Flags
Metal HUD, Resolution & Saves
Once built, AC-Recomp.app stores user data inside ~/AC-Recomp/build/data/user (note: the ~5-minute opening sequence is unskippable by design). You can test higher resolutions, experimental 60 FPS, FSR 1, and Apple's Metal HUD (`F3`) from Terminal:
NX_PERF_HUD=1 NX_UPSCALE=fsr ./AC-Recomp.app/Contents/MacOS/astral_recomp --render-res 2560x1440 --fps 60Download & verify macOS DMG or CLI ZIP
Click the macOS Apple Silicon (.dmg) or macOS CLI Kit (.zip) tab below for direct GitHub links and full 64-character SHA-256 digests.
Release binaryAstral.Chain-Setup-1.18.0-windows.zip
Release tag1.18.0
Verified byte size222,640,534 B (212.33 MiB)
GitHub repositorycaptainj-sparrow/astral-chain-pc-recomp
Playable start-to-credits on Windows 10/11 x64 (SSE4.2+, Vulkan 1.3). Includes 60 FPS timing fixes, DLSS/XeSS/FSR 3, HDR10, ultrawide up to 48:9, and ao = gi bounce light.
SHA-256 digest
896fd68844870e0e57f0781e5f4a43a13ee91a331d98bece376f0cda6b0d4ebcSetup or launch sequence
Unpack zip -> Run Astral Chain-Setup.exe -> Select your 1.0.0 base + 1.0.1 update + prod.keys -> Builds astralchain.exeControllers for dual-stick Legion combat
Astral Chain Recomp uses SDL3 for low-latency gamepad input, rumble curves, gyro aiming, back paddles, and automatic Xbox or PlayStation prompt detection.
View on Amazon
GameSir Super Nova Hall-Effect Gamepad
Drift-free Hall sticks, physically swappable ABXY faceplates (pad_layout = xbox or nintendo), and motion gyro via SDL3.
8BitDo Pro 2 Bluetooth Gamepad
Symmetrical dual-stick layout with Switch/X-Input modes, motion aiming for Bow Legion, and rear paddles (`lpaddle1`/`rpaddle1`).
GuliKit KK3 Max Wireless Controller
TMR electromagnetic sticks and 1000 Hz polling for tight 360-spin and Perfect Dodge input windows on Windows and Linux.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, astralchainrecomp.wiki earns from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you.
macOS AC-Recomp technical questions
Apple Silicon requirements, base 1.0.0 NSP validation, and CrossOver limitations.
Does AC-Recomp run on Intel x86_64 Macs?
No. swaymun/AC-Recomp requires an Apple Silicon processor (M1, M2, M3, M4, or M5) running macOS 13 Ventura or newer with Metal 3 / MoltenVK support.
Why did AC-Recomp Setup reject my Astral Chain NSP?
AC-Recomp v0.1.0 strictly expects the unpatched base 1.0.0 NSP (Title ID 01007300020fa000, v0). Unlike the Windows/Linux port (which requires merging the 1.0.1 update), AC-Recomp's function table and patches target 1.0.0 only and do not accept XCI containers.
Can I run the Windows 1.18.0 build on macOS via CrossOver or Sikarugir instead?
Because captainj-sparrow/astral-chain-pc-recomp relies on Vulkan 1.3 extensions including VK_EXT_external_memory_host and AVX2/SSE4.2 x86-64 code, translation layers on macOS often fail external-memory host mapping or D3DMetal/MoltenVK descriptor limits. Native Windows or Linux x86_64 remains the only start-to-credits path today.
How long does the first AC-Recomp build take on an M-series Mac?
Once Homebrew packages and the .NET 10 SDK are cached, lifting the binary, translating all 1,332 shaders to SPIR-V, and compiling the ARM64 C chunks takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes depending on your M-series core count.