Can I use my Apple Optical Drive w/ 2025 Air with Blu-Ray discs?

Question

Can I use my Apple Optical Drive w/ 2025 Air with Blu-Ray discs?

I bought an Apple Optical Drive in 2025 to go with my MacBook Air. I’m looking to buy a complete series of DVDs but they only come in Blu-Ray. Is there a way to get the Blu-Ray to play with this drive? If not, what are my best options?

And if it *will* work, will it have good quality video, or that weird viewing experience where it changes from movie quality to TV quality to handheld video/soap opera quality? Thanks!

MacBook Air 15” Spring 2025

Built in Retina display (15.3” listed)

MacBook Air 15″, macOS 26.1

Posted on Dec 22, 2025 5:22 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

157,920 points

Dec 22, 2025 6:08 PM in response to Julie Carneiro

Sorry, but the Apple SuperDrive does NOT support Blu-Ray discs. I playing them is your goal, you will need to get a third-party drive from the makes of Verbatim or Asus.

In addition, macOS does not have a native Blu-Ray player app. In this case you would have to look at getting something like the VLC player.

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Answer 2

Dec 22, 2025 6:34 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks! After looking around for a bit, that's the conclusion I suspected. BALLS. (Getting the Blu-Ray Supernatural complete Series).

But VLC will work if I get one of the Blu-Ray players you recommend?

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

157,920 points

Dec 22, 2025 6:40 PM in response to Julie Carneiro

Julie Carneiro wrote:

But VLC will work if I get one of the Blu-Ray players you recommend?

It should. Good news, VLC is free so you can give it a try. Otherwise, I'm sure that there are other Blu-Ray player apps, that run on macOS, out there. Sorry, I don't have any Blu-Rays discs to test this for you.

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Answer 4

Dec 22, 2025 6:53 PM in response to Tesserax

Thanks! I've used VLC (for regular DVDs and unsupported digital formats) for a couple of decades, so I'm most familiar with that.

Is there a specific model of ASUS or Verbatim you recommend? I'm more interested in viewing than ripping, though having both is nice. USB-C is preferred that matches my native ports, but I do have an Apple-branded adapter if needed (like I did for the Optical Drive, BOOO).

Thank you again so much for your help!!

ETA: The Blu-Ray DVDs are 1080p.

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Answer 5

Tesserax

Level 10

157,920 points

Dec 22, 2025 8:28 PM in response to Julie Carneiro

The Verbatim I mentioned is called the "Blu-Ray Writer". You can find it at places like, Newegg, Provantage, & B&H Video.

The Asus would be the SBW‑06D2X‑U Blu‑ray Writer. I believe that it is carried by Office Depot.

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Answer 6

Dec 22, 2025 10:59 PM in response to Tesserax

Well, poop. I just bought the BW-16D1X-U from the Asus website. I can return it if it's not what I want/need. Wish I'd checked for your reply first ... AND the one you mentioned for Asus is 34% cheaper! Maybe I'll be returning the one arriving on the 30th after all.

Thanks again for your help!

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