Apple Ends Intel Mac Era with macOS 27 Requiring Apple Silicon

Apple's macOS 27 Golden Gate will require a Mac with Apple Silicon, ending support for Intel Macs. This marks the final chapter for Intel-based Macs, which have been gradually phased out since the M1 chip launched in late 2020.

Intel Macs running macOS 26 Tahoe will get security and Safari patches for roughly two more years, while those on macOS 15 Sequoia receive one more year of updates. Apple Silicon Macs can still run Intel apps via Rosetta 2 in macOS 27, but future releases will restrict that compatibility layer, focusing primarily on older Intel-based games.

This transition has been anticipated, as each new macOS release left more Intel Macs behind. However, late-model Intel machines from 2019 and 2020 could run the latest OS until now. Third-party tools like OpenCore Legacy Patcher offered extended support for adventurous users, but the era of Intel Macs is officially over.