FAQs: Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth (Mac/Linux)
Q: Will Civilization: Beyond Earth for Mac and Linux support Steam Play?
A: Yes! All versions of Civilization: Beyond Earth on Steam will support Steam Play, meaning that when you purchase the game on any supported platform (Windows, Mac, or Linux), you get the game on all three.
Q: Does Civilization: Beyond Earth feature multiplayer? What about cross-platform multiplayer?
A: Yes to both! Civilization: Beyond Earth features competitive, cross-platform multiplayer. This means that Steam players on any supported platform (Windows, Mac, or Linux) may play with anyone else on any supported platform.
Please note that cross-platform multiplayer with Windows PC may not always be available. There may be times when the Windows PC version of the game receives an update prior to the Mac and Linux versions of the game; this will temporarily prohibit Mac and Linux players from playing with Windows PC players. Once the Mac and Linux versions of Civilization: Beyond Earth receive the same update, cross-platform multiplayer with Windows PC will be re-enabled.
Please note that cross-platform multiplayer between Mac and Linux should always be available, as the update schedule for each should be identical. And, of course, online multiplayer with players on the same platform will also always be an option.
Q: Will I be able to sync my game saves between the Windows PC, Mac, and Linux versions?
A: Yes, but with a caveat: saved games will NOT sync between Windows PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam Cloud. Since the Mac and Linux versions of Civilization: Beyond Earth may frequently be in and out of sync with the Windows PC version, syncing game saves across platforms via Steam Cloud has been disabled. This will ensure saved game data will not be lost or corrupt due to incompatible in-game content or other unforeseen reasons. Users do have the option of transferring game saves via physical media (like a thumb drive) if they wish.
Q: What are the system requirements to play Civilization: Beyond Earth for Mac and Linux?
Please note that the below system requirements are NOT FINAL and may change before the game is released on the Mac and Linux on Steam.
Mac System Requirements (Steam)
- Operating System: 10.10.2 (Yosemite)
- CPU Processor: i3
- CPU Speed: 2.2 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB
- Hard Disk Space: 10 GB
- Video Card (ATI): Radeon HD 5750
- Video Card (NVIDIA): GeForce 640M
- Video Card (Intel): Iris
- Video Memory (VRam): 256 MB
- Peripherals: Macintosh mouse and keyboard
Unsupported Video Cards:
- ATI Radeon X1000 series, HD 2400, 2600, 3870, 4000 series, 5670, 6490, 6630
- NVIDIA GeForce 7000 series, 8600, 8800, 9400, 9600, 320, 330, GT 120
- Intel GMA series, HD 3000, HD 4000, HD 5000
Linux System Requirements (Steam)
- Operating System: SteamOS, Ubuntu 14.04
- CPU Processor: Intel Core i3, AMD A10
- CPU Speed: 2.4GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Hard Disk Space: 10 GB
- Video Card (ATI): Radeon HD 6450
- Video Card (NVidia): Geforce 640M
- Video Card (Intel): Iris Pro
- Video Memory (VRam): 1GB
Q: What languages does Civilization: Beyond Earth for Mac and Linux support?
A: Civilization: Beyond Earth for Mac and Linux is expected to feature full text and audio support for English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
Q: I’m having some technical difficulties with the game/my question wasn’t answered…
If you have general questions about Civilization: Beyond Earth not listed above, leave them in the comments below, and we’ll be happy to answer them.
Alternatively, if you’re having any kind of technical issues with the game, such as trouble with downloading, crashes, performance, etc, please contact Aspyr Support at http://support.aspyr.com or via email at support@aspyr.com. They’ll be happy to help in any way they can!
Q: Is the Mac App Store version of Civilization: Beyond Earth the same as the Steam version?
A: No, there are a few key differences between the Mac App Store version and the Steam version of Civilization: Beyond Earth:
- Mac App players do not have access to any online multiplayer modes. However, Mac App players can play multiplayer via LAN connection.
- Mac App Store players currently have no way to access the Exoplanets Map Pack.
- Mac App players will not have access to achievements at launch, though this feature is expected to be added in a future update with support via Game Center.
Please note this list of differences is not final. We will edit this information as more becomes publicly available.
Q: Will the Mac App version of Civilization: Beyond Earth feature achievements?
A: The Mac App Store version of Civilization: Beyond Earth is not expected to feature achievements at launch. However, achievement tracking is expected to be added through Game Center in a future update.
Q: What are the system requirements to play Civilization: Beyond Earth on the Mac App Store?
Please note that the below system requirements are NOT FINAL and may change before the game is released on the Mac App Store.
Mac System Requirements (Mac App Store)
- Operating System: 10.10.2 (Yosemite)
- CPU Processor: i3
- CPU Speed: 2.2 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB
- Hard Disk Space: 10 GB
- Video Card (ATI): Radeon HD 5750
- Video Card (NVIDIA): GeForce 640M
- Video Card (Intel): Iris
- Video Memory (VRam): 256 MB
- Peripherals: Macintosh mouse and keyboard
Unsupported Video Cards:
- ATI Radeon X1000 series, HD 2400, 2600, 3870, 4000 series, 5670
- NVIDIA GeForce 7000 series, 8600, 8800, 9400, 9600, 320, 330, GT 120
- Intel GMA series, HD 3000, HD 4000, HD 5000
Q: Where can I find my save files:
A: You can find the Civilization: Beyond Earth save files in the following locations:
Mac App
~/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.civbe.appstore/Data/Library/Application Support/Sid Meier's Civilization Beyond Earth/Saves
Mac Steam
~/Library/Application Support/Sid Meier's Civilization Beyond Earth/Saves
Linux Steam
~/.local/share/aspyr-media/Sid Meier's Civilization Beyond Earth/Saves