For Mac, download Windows and use Bootcamp to install it. Press and hold the Option key to switch between MacOS and Windows during boot up. You don't have to activate windows if you don't want to (there will just be a light watermark on the lower right corner). Once in the game, you may need to tweak the video screen resolution. Well it might be time for a new laptop. We have picked the best Laptop for MTG Arena at a very reasonable price. Enjoy Magic the Gathering with zero lag. MTG Arena System Requirements. Here are official MTG Arena computer requirements. If your computer doesn’t reach recommended ones, that’s the reason for your lag issues.
by Cody Perez in Magic: The Gathering Arena | Jul, 26th 2019
Update version 0.17 for Magic: The Gathering Arena dropped yesterday, Thursday, July 25 and offered a massive set of patch notes for all of the changes and additions. These changes include the usual bug fixes, the start of the Plane-cation limited time event, and the expected store changes. Unfortunately, however, the patch also brought with it a new MTG Arena install bug.
MTG Arena Install Bug Explained
What players certainly didn’t expect to happen when the update arrived is begin having new, insane performance issues on top of what was already happening in the game currently. The worst of these is not being able to play the game at all due to the MTG Arena install bug affecting some players.
The MTG Arena install bug is a new one that we haven’t seen happen in the game before. Essentially, the update works as before. The player needs to download the update client and reinstall the game entirely as before. That part hasn’t changed (though it will be in future updates) but when players try to install, the game won’t work.
I did try porting the game to mac via Wine but I kept getting a purple screen with the MTGA cursor. If anyone else is having a similar problem Parallels for Mac is doing a fantastic job at running arena with all settings on high. I run it on a 1TB external HDD. Tommorow I’ll be trying a steam by running parallels. I've been playing Magic: the Gathering off and on for the last 20 years and love the game. I especially love their online version, Arena. About the Download. The Arena Trial is designed with your success in mind. This download includes: Full Functionality; No Time Limit; Limited Model Size (Will complete all problems in the Simulation with Arena 6th ed textbook) Getting Started with Arena. Although Arena can model very complex processes, it is easy to learn. Here are some places.
Even if the player is able to successfully download and install the update, some players aren’t able to actually boot up the game properly and play it. As such, Wizards of the Coast has acknowledged this issue is happening and has issued a fix for it through the forums that will, hopefully, get you into the game.
How to Fix the MTG Arena Install Bug
To begin fixing your game, this is what you need to do. First and foremost, you are going to want to confirm that you have tried to download and install the new update, and it isn’t working. Once you are at this point, here are the steps that you need to take in order to get the game running again.
The first step is to download the .msi file for the game, which you can find at this link here, as provided by Wizards of the Coast on the official forums for the game. Once you have completely downloaded that file right there, don’t worry about trying to open it as we have a different step coming up next instead.
The second step for this MTG Arena install bug fix is that you are going to want to open up the Command Prompt window on your PC. If you aren’t familiar with opening that up, the best way to do so is open up the search window on your desktop and search for the Command Prompt program.
An example of what the command prompt looks like when opened for those of you who may not be familiar
Open the Command Prompt program up and you will see a place where you can type something. Typing the correct program name will execute (open up) that program on your computer. What you need to type in the Command Prompt window is very specific so be sure to copy the following command line exactly:
msiexec /i
MTGAInstaller_0.1.1595.718832.msi
When you do this correctly, you will have a new window that should open up on your computer. It should be called something like the MTG Arena Setup Wizard or something similar to that. If you don’t see it appear, then double-check that you typed the right info into the Command Prompt program.
The setup wizard will be like an old-fashioned installer of sorts so all you need to do is hit next on the screen and follow the prompts that the program gives you. What you will want to do is install the program manually this way. Once you are completely done with this setup, you should be good to go.
From there, you are going to want to test and make sure that the game is running properly now on your computer. You will want to select the MTGA.exe file and open it up to run the game. This solution should make it so that the game does open up for you upon completing these steps.
But there is still the chance that an issue may appear that you might have that could keep the game from opening up regardless. If this problem continues for you, be sure to head over to the support ticket link that you can find right here. There, you will be able to submit a request for Wizards of the Coast to view the problem you’re having.
However, it is worth noting that Wizards of the Coast does state that if you do encounter any issues with this solution, it might not be able to provide any additional assistance. If you do find yourself in this situation, though, it’s worth trying anyways to see if there is a fix for your issues.
Why This Shouldn’t Be an Issue in the Future
Thankfully, this issue shouldn’t be a problem after this update for most future patches. That’s because, though the update brought with it some new problems for players, it does also lay the foundation for making future patches much easier to install than this.
From now on, you will no longer be required to download and reinstall the entire client when you are trying to update Magic: The Gathering Arena. Instead, future updates for the game will only require players to download the specific changes that are in that particular patch version.
However, that doesn’t mean that this is the case for all patches. There is still the possibility that a future update could require the full client to be downloaded again like, perhaps, when the game launches out of open beta and as a full release. In the event that this does happen, Wizards of the Coast will make sure to notify players ahead of time so they are prepared.
The update also brought with it the ability to download certain game assets prior to the release of future updates. These assets can download for you in the background of the game while you are playing it. This is a benefit to players since it should reduce the file size and time required to update the game when the full update is available.
For this to work, you do need to be logged into the game before the assets will begin to download for you. There are also some visual improvements to the game launcher that came with the update.
The MTG Arena Install Bug Isn’t the Only Bug
It is worth noting, though, that even if you are able to get into the game and experience the latest update, be prepared for the possible new bugs that await you beyond this MTG Arena install bug. This bug isn’t the only one that appeared alongside the most recent update on July 25.
Players are now experiencing other game-breaking bugs like being unable to play land cards in matches, having the game freeze up for them when trying to give up because of that bug, being unable to attack, and so on. Keep an eye out, because there appear to be more problems potentially on the horizon.
Unlike this particular bug, though, Wizard of the Coast hasn’t acknowledged these bugs and, therefore, hasn’t provided a fix for them either. As such, if you do end up experiencing these bugs once you are able to get into the game, be sure to submit a request at the above link so that the developer is made aware of the problems.
For more fixes and solutions for the rampant issues that are plaguing users, be sure to stay tuned right here for any future announcements and patches.
You sit before your old laptop and try to play some MTG Arena. After a game or two, Arena starts to lag. You close the game. You open it again. Wouldn’t it be nicer to just play for an hour or two – without restarting?
Well it might be time for a new laptop. We have picked the best Laptop for MTG Arena at a very reasonable price. Enjoy Magic the Gathering with zero lag.
MTG Arena System Requirements
Here are official MTG Arena computer requirements. If your computer doesn’t reach recommended ones, that’s the reason for your lag issues.
Minimum Requirements | Recommend Requirements | |
---|---|---|
Processor | AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5600+ or similar | Intel Core2 Quad Q9300 @ 2.50GHz or similar |
Graphics Card | GeForce GTX 8800 or similar | GeForce GTX 560 or similiar |
RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
Operating System | Windows 7 | Windows 10 |
Key Attributes
The two most important attributes for a laptop or PC for MTGA are:
- Performance
- Screen Size
Preformance
Although Arena doesn’t seem too complex of a game, there are plenty of complaints about memory issues. Because of that Arena doesn’t necessarily run smoothly even though your computer meets recommended requirements.
For that reason it’s probably a good idea to aim above those requirements. We took this into consideration when picking the best laptops.
Screen Size
If you played lots of MTGA you probably know that the battlefield can get pretty messy at times. Occasionally both players will have lots of creatures. It can be hard to handle combat on a small screen.
That’s why we took screen size into account – while still recommending laptops that are not big to carry around.
Best Laptop for MTG Arena
MSI GF63 Thin – Best Budget Laptop for MTG Arena
Recommend Requirements | MSI GF63 Thin Specs | |
---|---|---|
Processor | Intel Core2 Quad Q9300 @ 2.50GHz or similar | Intel Core i5-8300H 2.3 - 4.0GHz |
Graphics Card | GeForce GTX 560 or similiar | NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 [Max-Q] 4G GDDR5 |
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
There were reports of lags on MTG Arena. But that’s not to worry with this bad boy. As you can see in the table, it surpasses all recommended requirements for MTG Arena. Therefore making your games run very smoothly without the need to restart the game every hour.
MSI’s GF63 is a great high preforming laptop for gaming and yet reasonably priced. Even if you enjoy more graphics-heavy games, GF63 will hold its own.
With its black housing, sharp edges, bright red highlights and keyboard its espacially great for all Rakdos players. It’s also pretty light weighting only 4.1 pounds (1.9 kg).
- great budget option
- 7+ hours battery life
- 15.6 inch screen
Lenovo Legion Y740 – Best Laptop for MTG Arena with Big Screen
If you want a laptop that will enable you to run not only MTGA, but also every other game imaginable, here’s one for you. Legion Y740 is one of the preforming laptops even for triple A-games at the highest settings.
So if you want to play anything on your laptop, this one seems like a best choice. Just look at those specs.
Recommend Requirements | Lenovo Y740 Specs | |
---|---|---|
Processor | Intel Core2 Quad Q9300 @ 2.50GHz or similar | Intel Core i7-8750H |
Graphics Card | GeForce GTX 560 or similiar | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q |
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB |
Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
Best PC for MTG Arena
If you’re looking for a PC to play MTGA on, we have a couple of great recommendations for you.
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme – Best Budget PC for Arena
If you like Magic, you like value. The CyberpowerPC is packed with it! It has great parts, that would somehow cost you more if you bought them separately.
You’ll also get a mouse and a keyboard included together, so the only thing you’ll need is a monitor. It’s truly one of the best buys for under thousand dollars – you can check its price on Amazon.
Recommend Requirements | CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme Specs | |
---|---|---|
Processor | Intel Core2 Quad Q9300 @ 2.50GHz or similar | ntel Core i5-9400F 2. 9GHz 6-Core |
Graphics Card | GeForce GTX 560 or similiar | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB |
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
If you want to play other games with higher PC requirements, CyberpowerPC will manage it. It’s also liquid cooled, which will enable overclocking it.
Corsair One i164 – Best Gaming PC for Arena
Do you want to get a computer that will hold its own for 10 years or more? Corsair One i164 is one of the best out there. It will probably remain near the top for quite some time.
It’s not cheap. That’s for sure. But the price doesn’t lie. It will run Arena better than you current computer runs a calculator. Any other game you can possibly imagine will run incredibly smoothly on this machine. If you want the absolute best on the market, this is a right choice for you.
Recommend Requirements | Corsair One i164 Specs | |
---|---|---|
Processor | Intel Core2 Quad Q9300 @ 2.50GHz or similar | Intel Core i9-9900K |
Graphics Card | GeForce GTX 560 or similiar | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti |
RAM | 4 GB | 32 GB |
Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
Best Monitor for MTG Arena
As you know the battlefield can get clogged up quite quickly – especially if you’re playing a deck with lots of permanents. That’s why you should really pay attention to the size of the size monitor. Take a look at these two beauties.
ViewSonic XG2402 – Best Budget Monitor for MTG Arena
ViewSonic XG2402 has a couple of things going for it. Its 24 inch screen is big enough even for a very full battlefield and its price is a real steal. It has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 which is still passable for a 24 inch screen.
So if you want a display that’s both big enough and affordable, no need to look for anything else.
ASUS ROG PG279Q – Best Gaming Monitor for MTG Arena
Maybe even 24 inches doesn’t leave you satisfied. If that’s the case – Asus has an answer. ROG PG27DQ really excels with its 27 inches.
ASUS Eye Care Technology will provide the comfort for long nights of playing MTG Arena. It won’t protect you from seeing your worst matchups but your eyes will still be thankful.
It has a resolution of 2560 x 1440, which is great. Bigger resolution is very important on a big screen like this one.
Logging Off
When you’ll be playing Arena on your new device, don’t forget to check MTG Arena Codes for free packs and cosmetics. You can also check more gaming monitors here.
Download Magic Arena Mac
Hopefully we helped you picked a right computer for you. Happy gaming on Arena and may you only draw lands when you need ’em.