The Developer's Guide to Hackintoshing (2026 Status)

You want macOS (Unix terminal + Photoshop), but you want PC hardware (Upgradability + Gaming). The answer used to be: build a Hackintosh.

The State of Hackintosh in 2026

With Apple fully transitioned to Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3), macOS support for Intel processors is in its final years.

• macOS Sequoia (2025): Still supports Intel.
• Future Versions: Likely to drop Intel support soon.

Verdict: It is still viable for a daily driver today, but don't build a new PC just for this.

The Bootloader: OpenCore

Clover is dead. OpenCore is the standard. It patches the ACPI tables of your motherboard to trick macOS into thinking it's running on a real Mac.

Hardware Compatibility (The Golden Rules)

1. CPU: Intel 10th-14th Gen works well. AMD Ryzen works (AMD_Vanilla patches) but Adobe apps may crash.
2. GPU:
   • AMD: Radeon RX 6600 / 6800 / 6900 XT work natively.
   • Nvidia: RTX CARDS DO NOT WORK. AT ALL.
   • Intel WiFi: Supported via AirportItlwm.kext.

The Installation Process

1. Dortania's Guide: The Bible of Hackintoshing. Read it twice.
2. Config.plist: You must manually edit this XML file to match your specific CPU Architecture (Comet Lake, Rocket Lake, etc).
3. Kexts: These are drivers. You need VirtualSMC, Lilu, WhateverGreen (GPU), and AppleALC (Audio).

Quiz

Conclusion

Hackintoshing is the ultimate "I configured this" flex. But if you value your time over $500, just buy a used Mac Mini. If you love tinkering, proceed with OpenCore.