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Portal 2 confirmed for Mac, Steam coming in May (updated)

March 8, 2010, 2:20 PM EST

Between its fantastic game releases and wildly popular distribution platform, Valve has won the hearts of many PC gamers over the last few years. Mac users have long cried for support, and last week Valve answered their calls. The company plans to introduce an OS X-friendly Steam client in May, along with games like Left 4 Dead 2, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal.

In addition to some older titles, it would seem the sequel to 2007's Portal will also be available for the Mac. Portal 2 was unveiled as the cover story for Game Informer magazine a few days ago, and at the time, only cover shots were available. More pages have now leaked, and one lists the platforms that Portal 2 will launch on: Xbox 360, PC, and Mac.

You can view all of the page scans here (scroll about halfway down for image links).

Update: Valve has issued an official statement and as it turns out, Steam and numerous Source games will launch on Mac in April, not May. Additionally, select titles purchased for Mac or PC will be playable on both platforms free of charge via a new feature called Steam Play. Portal 2 is also confirmed to be the first simultaneous release for Mac and PC.

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cyrusjumpjet on March 8, 2010 1:19 PM	I kind of want to buy a Mac just so I can feel the joy of playing games on a Mac. Haven't felt that joy since I played Myst, Star Wars Dark Forces, and The Dig on my old System 7.5 Mac... Reply \| Quote
Puiu on March 8, 2010 1:31 PM	Gaming on a mac will always suck since Apple doesn't support the producers. If they tried harder they could have had at least some of the more popular games with native support for their OS. (bootcamp is not a good alternative - it's actually really bad). But i'm thinking that they're afraid that people will notice that they have low end components for high end prices. ^_^ Reply \| Quote
Serag on March 8, 2010 1:41 PM	Excited about Portal2, Could see many ways in which mac-gaming pioneered by Steam could fail but more ways it could win and get Steam the lead in this untapped market. Reply \| Quote
TomSEA on March 8, 2010 1:52 PM	I'm really having problems visualizing the Mac as a gaming machine. No doubt there's an untapped user base out there. But I think that platform has just a TAD bit to go before we start seeing them run the most current games at top settings. Reply \| Quote
compdata on March 8, 2010 1:54 PM	Smart move for them as the source engine is a pretty good one, that runs well on low-mid end graphics cards (what MACs have). Reply \| Quote
DryIce on March 8, 2010 2:04 PM	This is good. Mac users deserve the same as PC users. Windows has dominated PC gaming for too long. Reply \| Quote
Decimae on March 8, 2010 2:28 PM	Now make a linux build. That'll convince me to switch to ubuntu(when 10.4 is out). Also, the portal puzzle wiki has these scans too, and with text: [link] Reply \| Quote
Relic on March 8, 2010 2:31 PM	As a gamer I'm happy to see a greater audience being able to enjoy some amazing games. While I have no plans or desire to get a Mac, it's nice for those who have one to get some support . But as pointed out above, if more higher end and new games ever do come to the Mac the average consumer will get wind that his $1500+ system all of a sudden can't compete with a PC half the price and Apple's jig is up. But as of now source games are not demanding and it'll fit just fine. Reply \| Quote
drasho on March 8, 2010 2:51 PM	It not bad... mac is finally getting some decent game =P But PC is still the way to go if you want to play all the good games =P Reply \| Quote
seefizzle on March 8, 2010 2:57 PM	This is going to be a complete mind f*ck for apple users. Going from a mouse with one button on it to a gaming mouse with 11. I predict a lot of pants shitting. Reply \| Quote
burty117 on March 8, 2010 3:23 PM	seefizzle said: This is going to be a complete mind f*ck for apple users. Going from a mouse with one button on it to a gaming mouse with 11. I predict a lot of pants shitting. LOL! Reply \| Quote
Richy2k9 on March 8, 2010 3:34 PM	hello ... like with Blizzard, now Valve, i want my fav games to be playable anywhere, so i hope it will not be an either or situation where i can buy a MAC only or a PC only version. I can have both versions off Blizzard. Now, i won't find it hard to go for a MAC if needed. would be happy to see Linux also supported some day cheers! Reply \| Quote
Deso on March 8, 2010 4:01 PM	I'm getting this game for sure, I still play Portal from time to time such a awesome game, wish there were more maps tho, I can run through the entire game in less then 2 hours Reply \| Quote
Matthew on March 8, 2010 4:06 PM	I believe there are plenty of third-party Portal maps around, but I've never tried any. Might be worth looking into, Deso. Reply \| Quote
InsaneVr6 on March 8, 2010 4:32 PM	I said it in the last article. This will tell the future of next gen gaming on Mac's. If Steam can't do it, who can? Reply \| Quote
wagan8r on March 8, 2010 5:07 PM	I have to say that although I don't like Macs, I would prefer them to get support over the consoles! They should release the PC and Mac versions simultaneously, and then the 360 version a few weeks later. Give us a little love to help us feel special again. Reply \| Quote
flukeh on March 8, 2010 5:56 PM	I visualize Mac becoming the Casual gamers machine and PC staying where it is. The majority of people that i know with macs (that don't have them at/for work) use mac books. And those laptops will hardly be able to run new games very well. It will be interesting to see where this goes. Reply \| Quote
Deso on March 8, 2010 11:22 PM	Matthew said: I believe there are plenty of third-party Portal maps around, but I've never tried any. Might be worth looking into, Deso. How did I not know of this !?!?!??!?!!? I'm definitely looking into this. Reply \| Quote
yorro on March 9, 2010 3:49 AM	Too bad I finished Portal 1 in 5 hours, such a great game for a low gamespan. Anyway, no PS3? Reply \| Quote
fref on March 9, 2010 6:39 AM	It's great that some titles will be playable on both platforms with Steam Play. No need to buy the game twice, though I doubt anyone would do that anyway. Reply \| Quote
Richy2k9 on March 9, 2010 7:36 AM	hello ... i love that update ... yes now i can play all my already purchased games on my possibly soon to be MAC LOL. What about Linux & PS3, i know i'm asking for too much! keep updating please, thank you. cheers! Reply \| Quote
Tekkaraiden on March 9, 2010 8:11 AM	Excellent news, my wife and I can game together again. Reply \| Quote
TuesdayExpress on March 9, 2010 8:45 AM	Will this be Valve's first release on Xbox? I'm only familiar with their PC side, but I don't recall hearing of this from them before. Reply \| Quote
tizzlejack on March 9, 2010 10:25 AM	Will the Source SDK work on Macs too? Some of the best games I've played on the Source engine were originally developed by a third party. Garry's Mod anyone? Reply \| Quote
levar on March 9, 2010 11:09 AM	cool welcome to the gaming world Mac's wonder if they'll see more hardcore games? Ohh maybe Apple will release Mac gaming machines or just start giving Mac extra performance boots and this "Steam Play" thing sounds awesome! Gonna research some more about it. A great milestone for Macs and Valve! Good move. Reply \| Quote