Banjo: Recompiled on Mac: how to play Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo: Recompiled runs on a Mac. It is a static recompilation of Banjo-Kazooie, built with N64: Recompiled and the RT64 renderer, made by the BanjoRecomp team. The current release, 1.0.2 (July 31, 2026), ships a Mac build (universal, runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel). You supply your own copy of the game; Banjo: Recompiled supplies everything else.
- Mac download
- BanjoRecompiled-v1.0.2-macOS.zip
- Chips
- Universal: runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel
- macOS
- macOS 13 or later, on Apple Silicon or an Intel Mac with a 7th-generation or newer CPU
- Signed by Apple
- No: macOS warns on first launch (steps below)
- You need
- Your own US 1.0 copy of the game
- Latest version
- 1.0.2, July 31, 2026
How to install Banjo: Recompiled on a Mac
- Download the macOS zip from the releases page and unzip it (the Mac download was re-uploaded on August 15 to fix a double-zipped file).
- Move BanjoRecompiled.app into Applications.
- Get past Gatekeeper. macOS blocks it the first time because the project is not signed by Apple. Control-click the app and choose Open. On macOS 13 or later, if that offers no Open button, go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway (it appears for about an hour after the first attempt).
Banjo: Recompiled on its official page: download only from there. Sites offering a version with the game already inside are pirated, and often carry malware.
The game file you need
Your own copy of Banjo-Kazooie: only the US 1.0 N64 version. Other N64 file formats are converted for you.
Click Select ROM in the menu and pick your file.
What you get
- Any frame rate, widescreen and ultrawide
- Thunderstore mods and texture packs, now native on Apple Silicon (1.0.2 fixed the mod crash that needed Rosetta)
- A dual-analog camera and note saving
Saves and settings live in ~/Library/Application Support/BanjoRecompiled/saves.
Known Mac issues
- Open reports of a freeze after 10+ minutes on macOS 14.4 and crashes at launch on some Macs
From the project's open issues on October 15, 2026; check its issue tracker for fixes.
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Checked October 15, 2026 against: Releases, README. Architecture, minimum macOS and signing were read from the Mac release files themselves.
Common questions
Does Banjo: Recompiled work on a Mac?
Yes. Banjo: Recompiled 1.0.2 ships a Mac build: universal: runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel. It needs macOS 13 or later, on Apple Silicon or an Intel Mac with a 7th-generation or newer CPU.
Does Banjo: Recompiled run on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4)?
Yes, it runs natively. Universal: runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel.
What do I need to play Banjo-Kazooie with Banjo: Recompiled?
Your own copy of Banjo-Kazooie: only the US 1.0 N64 version. Other N64 file formats are converted for you.
Why won't Banjo: Recompiled open on my Mac?
macOS blocks it the first time because the project is not signed by Apple. Control-click the app and choose Open. On macOS 13 or later, if that offers no Open button, go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway (it appears for about an hour after the first attempt).