Overview
- The developer beta of macOS 27 Golden Gate, released Tuesday, is the first macOS built only for Apple silicon and marks the final release with full Rosetta 2 translation for Intel apps.
- Apple has pledged to keep Rosetta 2 as a general-purpose translator through macOS 27 and will retain only a limited subset for older, unmaintained Intel-era games after that release.
- Golden Gate’s beta can remove an existing Rosetta install carried over from macOS 26 Tahoe, meaning users who need translation may have to reinstall Rosetta on macOS 27 to regain compatibility.
- Organizations and users running Intel-only software face three clear choices: update apps to native Apple silicon, replace them with alternatives, or remain on macOS 27 to preserve compatibility.
- The change completes a transition that began in 2020 and follows Apple’s final Intel Mac shipments in 2023, and it will prompt IT teams to act to avoid service disruption when macOS 28 drops full Rosetta support.