[size=150]Apple officially confirms the end of Rosetta support for Intel (AMD64/x86_64) Mac applications[/size]

The decisive change will occur with macOS 28, expected in 2027.

Apple officially confirmed this on September 1, 2026. macOS 27 is the final release providing general-purpose Rosetta support for Intel-only applications on Apple Silicon Macs.

Official Apple announcement:
Apple Developer — Upcoming changes to Rosetta support (September 1, 2026)

Official compatibility timeline

• macOS 26 Tahoe (2025): Intel-only Mac applications can run on Apple Silicon through Rosetta. This is also the final major macOS version supporting Intel-based Macs.
  
• macOS 27 Golden Gate (released September 14, 2026): The last macOS version supporting general-purpose Rosetta translation for Intel Mac applications.
  
• macOS 28 (expected in 2027): Regular Intel-only Mac applications will no longer run through Apple's Rosetta translation layer on Apple Silicon. Apple has not announced an exact release date.
  

One limited exception
Apple will retain a subset of Rosetta functionality for certain older, unmaintained games that depend on Intel-based frameworks. There is no announced general exception for CAD, engineering, graphics or productivity software.

Official technical documentation:
Apple Support — Using Intel-based apps on a Mac with Apple silicon

What does this mean for SharkCAD and ViaCAD?

Punch! Software released SharkCAD 17 and ViaCAD 17 for macOS and Windows on July 16, 2026.

The manufacturer's website currently describes these products as native on Apple Silicon and Intel. However, the detailed SharkCAD 17 system requirements list support for Apple Silicon without explicitly documenting the application's binary architecture. Moreover, users in the PunchCAD forum have reported that ViaCAD 17 still requires Rosetta, while other users report that SharkCAD and ViaCAD versions continue to work on macOS 27.

These conflicting statements should not be treated as proof that every current SharkCAD or ViaCAD component runs natively on ARM64. Native compatibility needs to be verified for the actual installed version, including any plug-ins and extensions.

Sources:
PunchCAD — Official Mac product page
PunchCAD — SharkCAD 17 for Mac, system requirements
PunchCAD Forum — macOS 27 compatibility discussion (user reports, not official confirmation)

How to verify whether your application is affected

• Locate the application in Finder.
  
• Select it and press Command-I (Get Info).
  
• Check the Kind field.
  
• Application (Intel): Requires Rosetta on an Apple Silicon Mac and will be affected by the macOS 28 change.
  
• Application (Universal): Contains both Intel and Apple Silicon code, although individual Intel-only plug-ins may still be affected.
  
• Application (Apple silicon): Runs natively without Rosetta.
  

On macOS 27, installed Intel applications can also be identified under System Settings > General > About > Intel-based Apps.

Important distinction
This announcement concerns Intel/x86_64 macOS applications running on Apple Silicon through Rosetta. Windows AMD64 executables (.exe) are a separate matter and are not directly supported by Rosetta.

Existing Intel Macs will not suddenly stop running compatible Intel software. They can continue using supported older macOS versions, subject to future security and application compatibility limitations.

Conclusion
macOS 28 is the critical compatibility boundary for Intel-only CAD software on Apple Silicon Macs. If an application still depends on Rosetta, it will need a native ARM64 version to remain directly usable on macOS 28 and later.

For professional CAD workflows, users should verify the actual architecture of SharkCAD or ViaCAD before upgrading macOS and request explicit confirmation from PunchCAD regarding native ARM64 support.

Primary sources

• Apple Developer — Official Rosetta announcement, September 1, 2026
  
• Apple Support — Intel applications and Rosetta compatibility, September 21, 2026
  
• Apple Support — macOS 27 release date, September 14, 2026
  
• PunchCAD — Official SharkCAD and ViaCAD 17 release announcement, July 16, 2026
  

Information verified as of October 13, 2026.