Two projects seek to bring macOS to Snapdragon and x86 PCs
Stela has an open beta for Intel and AMD hardware, while Snapintosh has demonstrated basic operation on a Snapdragon laptop. Both lack key features.
Two engineering projects are working to make macOS usable on non-Apple computers, with one offering an open beta for x86 hardware and another demonstrating the operating system on a Snapdragon-powered laptop. Both remain incomplete, with Wi-Fi and audio unavailable.
Engineer Tyler Smith is developing Stela, which translates Arm instructions for x86 processors. Its beta supports Intel chips starting with Nehalem and AMD chips starting with Bulldozer. Hardware requirements include 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia graphics card from the GTX 16-series or a newer series.
Stela's setup runs on Windows and uses a USB stick for installation. The online installer needs 8GB of available storage, compared with 32GB for the offline option. The destination computer needs 60GB on its installation drive. Bluetooth works, despite the lack of Wi-Fi and audio support.
The other project, Snapintosh, was revealed by engineer Miguel Cruz. His social media videos show macOS starting on an Asus Zenbook A16, switching desktop modes and opening applications.
Snapintosh currently works only with the laptop's Snapdragon X2 Elite processor and needs a Mac host. Battery operation is unavailable, as are cameras, Bluetooth, sleep and external display support. It also cannot sustain a stable 60 fps. No clear timing has emerged for a beta on GitHub.
