Overview
- Apple released macOS 27 Golden Gate into developer beta this week as the first macOS that runs only on Apple Silicon and will reach public beta next month with a wide release expected in September.
- Golden Gate is the final macOS to include full Rosetta 2 translation, and Apple says general Rosetta support will be removed in macOS 28 with only a narrow compatibility subset kept for older, unmaintained games.
- The beta adds an Intel-based Apps panel in System Settings that lists Intel apps opened in the past year and warns those apps will not open in macOS 28, giving developers and users a clear migration deadline.
- Intel-powered Macs cannot install macOS 27, and several late-model Intel machines that ran macOS 26 are now cut off from future updates; Golden Gate also removes any existing Rosetta 2 installation requiring manual reinstallation for those who still need it.
- The change completes a transition that began with Apple Silicon in 2020 and will push organizations using niche or legacy Intel-only software to update builds, find replacements, or remain on macOS 27, a shift that could affect professional workflows and software support plans.