Is a macbook air (20215) too weak to run FGU?

[christophe]

I've recently upgraded from FG Classic to FG unity after I finally installed Mac OS Monterey on my (old) macbook air 2015.

The migration of the campaigns and modules seems ok and i've been able to open our current campaign as a test.

First, the app took a looooonnnng time to open the campaign and now the macbook is overheating and the fan is going crazy. I had no issue with the classic version but I'd like to now if a macbook is not powerfull enough to run FGU (i.e. in that case, I'll have to stop the current campaign with my players and that would be a pity)

[Moon Wizard]

An 11 year old computer will probably struggle to run any application built for modern gaming engines. Fantasy Grounds VTT is written on top of Unity game engine.

Regards,
JPG

[Zacchaeus]

I don't know anything about your system but the minimum specs for FGVTT are noted here https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/1136984087/System+Requirements

[Moon Wizard]

You could try some of the options to reduce GPU usage; but 11 years old is pretty old for a computer.
https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/1638006786/Reducing+GPU+Usage#Advanced-FGVTT-Commands---Use-With-Caution

Regards,
JPG

[Trenloe]

These are the minimum requirements for FGU: https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/1136984087/System+Requirements#macOS-X

You may need to limit the frames the GPU is outputting. I remember there were some issues with MACs when FGU was first released.

Try the /vsync chat command detailed here: https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/1638006786/Reducing+GPU+Usage#The-vsync-command

EDIT: all mentioned by those above while I was putting this post together.

[christophe]

Thank you everyone for your answers.

The macbook air is ok from a specs perspective. I checked before upgrading to FGU.

I understand that this mac is old but still, this is about running a VTT not a AAA FPS game so I wasn't expecting performance issues (at least without the fog of war feature activated for instance)

The funny thing is that I purchased the FGU licence on July 2025, in preparation of the upgrade from Classic to Unity, just before the licence became free for all in september 2025. And, at the end, not to be able to run on the mac that has all the campaigns with my players from the past 6 years.

As I'm not planning to upgrade the mac, I guess the conclusion is that I'll have to stop using Fantasy Ground.

[LordEntrails]

Did you try the settings Trenloe linked to? You should be able to obtain acceptable performance with those even with a older Mac.

[christophe]

Yes I tried the vsync command but I still face some issues

First, the applications take 2 full minutes to load the campaign

Then, that's barely usable and I haven't tried to play with my players: even without opening a map or things like this, each time I'm clicking on a command the small wheel appears showing that the application is "working".

At last, the mac book is heating a lot.

I think the minimum specifications to run FGU on a mac should be reconsidered. On paper, the macbook is ok but in real life, that doesn't work.

And having migrate to Mac OS Monterey I can't run FG Classic anymore. So all my campaigns can't be played with Fantasy Ground anymore on my machine.

I'm not sure it exists, but in case of: are there any conversion tool to migrate to another VTT?

[Nylanfs]

Can you check your video drivers and see if there is an update?

[Trenloe]

@christophe - what is being overloaded? Is it CPU or GPU?

[Griogre]

The symptoms could also be the Mac is running out of RAM and the machine is using virtual memory for FG, the OS or both.

[tahl_liadon]

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The symptoms could also be the Mac is running out of RAM and the machine is using virtual memory for FG, the OS or both.


long-time mac poweruser here. this could very well be the issue — i’d be curious to see your laptop’s specs.

the macbook air has always been apple’s lightweight line, built more for portability than performance-heavy tasks like gaming. while it still holds value and functions well for everyday use, a 2015 model would likely show processing slowdowns with more demanding applications. i have a 2015 imac that was upgraded with substantial ram for design work, and even that felt laggy during testing.

you mentioned not wanting to upgrade your mac. i am just gonna throw this on the table: you might consider browsing ebay for newer used macbook models — there are often surprisingly affordable options with significantly better performance.

best of luck finding a solution that lets you continue enjoying vtt.