Apple Closes the Intel Era: macOS Golden Gate Runs Only on Apple Silicon

With macOS 27 Golden Gate, presented on June 8 during the opening of WWDC 2026, Apple definitively closes the door on Intel-based Macs: to install the new operating system, a Mac with Apple Silicon is required.

This is no surprise: last year, when presenting macOS Tahoe, Apple had already indicated that release as the last compatible with pre-Apple Silicon machines. Golden Gate only confirms a transition announced twelve months in advance, which the installed base had time to absorb.

The complete list of compatible Macs includes the MacBook Neo (2026), the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon from 2020 onwards, iMacs with Apple Silicon from 2021, Mac minis from 2020, Mac Studios from 2022, and Mac Pros with Apple Silicon from 2023.

Falling behind are four models that managed to run Tahoe: the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019), the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports), the iMac (2020), and the Mac Pro (2019), the last Macs to use Intel silicon.

Those who own one of these machines won't be left completely in the lurch: Apple will continue to distribute security updates for macOS Tahoe for a long time, as is customary with previous versions. However, for new features, the only way forward is to switch to a more recent Mac.

The MacBook Neo Issue

The inclusion of the MacBook Neo, the entry-level laptop that arrived in March with the A18 Pro SoC, deserves clarification. This model runs Golden Gate and supports Apple Intelligence, as confirmed by Apple in the official announcement, which specifies that the enabled devices include the MacBook Neo and Macs with M1 or later chips.

However, the more advanced capabilities of the new Siri AI should require at least an M3 chip and 12 GB of unified memory, a threshold that the MacBook Neo, stuck at 8 GB, does not meet. Thus, a concrete distinction emerges: the most affordable Mac in the lineup installs the system but is left out of the cutting-edge artificial intelligence features that Apple has built this release upon.

The first beta for developers of macOS Golden Gate is available starting today; the public beta is expected in July, while the final version will arrive in autumn, in line with Apple's usual schedule.