EVE Online kicks off Mac open beta for high-res graphics engine

The next EVE Online expansion, called Apocrypha, will launch on March 10 and promises to bring a long-missing feature to the Mac client: high res graphics. The Trinity graphics engine (aka Premium graphics) has been available to players using the Windows client since December of 2007. As of today, all active accounts using the Mac client can opt to download a second enhanced client to try out EVE's Premium graphic content on the Singularity test server.

EVE's Community Manager CCP Wrangler says, "This is the culmination of over a year of effort on the part of development teams at both CCP Games and Transgaming and we are extremely happy to see EVE running in all its splendor on the Mac OS." That splendor, however, may not be coming for some EVE players running older Mac hardware.

Just as when Premium graphics became available for Windows XP users, higher system specs are needed to run it than with Classic graphics:

• OS: OS X 10.5.6

• CPU: 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo

• RAM: 1 GB

• HD SPACE: 6.0 GB

• NETWORK: 56k modem or better Internet connection

• VIDEO: ATI Radeon x1600 128Mb

• DVD-ROM: 2 speed DVD reader or greater required (EVE will ship on disc in March.)

If you can handle those specs, you can grab the Premium client's disk image (clocking in at just over 1.6 GB), as per the instructions in the CCP Games announcement. Just be sure to rename your existing EVE install something else to prevent anything being overwritten. The new open beta client will automatically connect to Singularity when launched, so no additional login info is needed. Players are currently giving feedback to the devs on their experience with Premium graphics on the Mac, and that thread might be worth taking a look at as well if you run into any snags.