A “Hackintosh” is a standard PC that’s modified to run Apple’s proprietary macOS (or OS X) operating system. It was a popular pastime back when Apple was using Intel chips in its laptops and desktops, though it’s fallen off now that Apple is on self-built Arm hardware.
But someone is keeping the spirit of Hackintosh alive by running the latest macOS Sequoia build on a Steam Deck.
Why would you work really long and really hard to boot an operating system that’s very pointedly not designed for gaming, on a device that’s designed pretty much exclusively to play games? Phooey. (Hackintosh people care not for your paltry concerns of “logic” and “common sense.” They do it for the love of… something, I assume. I don’t get it either.)
So far, Twitter user and software engineer @whatdahopper and their friends have gotten Sequoia’s recovery running… and not much else. (It’s worth noting that macOS Sequoia is still being created and delivered for a few of those last-gen Mac models with Intel processors, so this is indeed a Hackintosh in the classic sense, running with only a few tweaks on the Steam Deck’s AMD hardware.)
Based on the tweet spotted by Tom’s Hardware, it’s only displaying in portrait mode, which must make it an absolute PITA to actually use without external inputs. Oh, and apparently macOS detects the Steam Deck’s controller-based input hardware as a modem. Ha.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.