The era of the Hackintosh, a self-built computer running Apple's macOS operating system on non-Apple hardware, appears to be nearing its end. According to a recent blog post by Aleksandar Vacić, Apple's transition to its own Apple Silicon chips and a shift in driver development pose significant challenges for the Hackintosh community.
Vacić points out that Apple has removed support for older Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cards, particularly Broadcom models used in 2012-2013 iMacs and MacBooks. These cards were crucial for building functional Hackintoshes as they enabled features like iMessage, FaceTime, AirDrop, and Continuity without additional workarounds.
The removal of driver support is attributed to Apple's move from Kernel Extensions (.kext) to DriverKit (.dext). This streamlining effort eliminates unnecessary code, as seen with Ethernet drivers in macOS Ventura.
Vacić argues that this lack of driver support signifies the "deathbed" for Hackintosh for many users. While some functionalities might persist for a while, core features like Wi-Fi and potentially essential services like iMessage and FaceTime become unreliable with future updates.
This news marks a turning point for the Hackintosh community, which has thrived on creating tools and guides for building non-Apple machines that run macOS.
While the demise of Hackintosh might be a blow to enthusiasts, there's a bright side. Apple's Mac lineup boasts more power and versatility than ever before. The Mac mini with Apple Silicon starts at an attractive $599, and the M1 MacBook Air can be found for as low as $699 through various retailers. These official Apple machines offer a compelling alternative to the complexities and uncertainties of building a Hackintosh.
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