Apple MacBook Air showcases domestic game "Yihuan," running open-world graphics on the M5 chip

On March 3, Apple’s official website updated its new product showcase page, and a section of in-game footage from the game “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M” drew attention. The footage shows an open-world game with an urban theme running on a new MacBook Air (M5 chip). The game is the second-genre open-world RPG “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M,” developed by Hotta Studio under Perfect World (002624).

Apple’s New MacBook Air Page Showcases Footage of Zenless Zone Zero: Project M

Apple’s page description says this segment of footage is used to showcase the MacBook Air’s capabilities in graphics processing and rendering. The information page also mentions that the M5 chip delivers further graphics performance improvements, enabling the device to maintain more stable and smooth performance when running professional applications and large games. The third-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing and dynamic cache technology also makes the lighting and shadow effects in the footage feel more realistic.

The device used for this showcase is not positioned as a higher-end MacBook Pro, but rather the MacBook Air, which focuses on being lightweight and everyday use. For an open-world game, showcasing it on this kind of device also, to a certain extent, reflects the project’s level of performance optimization.

Meanwhile, “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M” has also set up offline media experience sessions in Shanghai, London, and New York. According to the on-site arrangements, with staff demonstrations, the media can do a hands-on test for about 5 to 10 minutes, and they can also record some in-game footage.

On March 4, at the Shanghai Apple offline media experience event, staff demonstrated the game Zenless Zone Zero: Project M

On February 4, 2026, the domestic version of the game begins a no-wipe, charge-based test (the third test). As of March 5, 2026, the official pre-registration count exceeded 25 million, and TapTap’s pre-registration count was 5.36 million. It is a two-dimensional game with strong momentum this year. At the offline experience event for the new product, Apple only provided one title, Zenless Zone Zero: Project M, for hands-on testing and display, which also indirectly indicates that the quality of the anticipated two-dimensional game Zenless Zone Zero: Project M has received some recognition.

From the game content, “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M” is a supernatural urban open-world RPG. The story takes place in a modern city called “Haitherlo City.” In the game, players take on the role of a power user who has lost their memory, and join the antique shop organization “Ibon.” Behind the city’s everyday life, players will gradually come into contact with supernatural events hidden within the streets and alleys. One of the game’s major features is the “switching between the inner and outer worlds” mechanic. Players can freely move between the city’s real-world space and the anomaly space, completing combat and investigation tasks while exploring the story.

On the technical side, “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M” is developed based on Unreal Engine 5.6 and integrates NVIDIA DLSS4 technology. In the third no-wipe playtest that concluded earlier, the project team completed 38 optimization items based on player feedback, covering multiple areas such as character modeling, visual presentation, and gameplay experience. The game also adds gameplay such as vehicle driving and simulation management, making interactive content in city exploration even richer.

According to information released by the official, “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M” will launch its open beta on April 23, 2026, simultaneously on: PC, iOS, Android, Mac, HarmonyOS, and PlayStation 5. Cross-platform data interoperability means players can seamlessly switch game progress between different devices.

In recent years, domestically developed games have been appearing more and more in international tech companies’ product showcases. From mobile games to open-world projects, improvements in China’s game development scale and technical capabilities are drawing increasing attention.

As the open beta date approaches, “Zenless Zone Zero: Project M”’s market performance has also become a focal point of interest for players and industry observers.