Guides / Windows games on Mac

Ways to play Windows games on an Apple Silicon Mac (2026)

By Bridgeplay · Last updated 29 October 2026

I maintain Bridgeplay, so keep that in mind. Every fact about another tool below links to that tool’s own site, README or documentation, and anything I couldn’t confirm from a primary source is left out.

The options side by side

As of 29 October 2026. “DirectX 12” means the tool can run DirectX 12 games at all; how well a specific game runs is a separate question (see how to check).

For chips and exact macOS versions, including Game Porting Toolkit releases, see Which macOS version do Mac gaming tools need?

CrossOver (CodeWeavers)

CrossOver is CodeWeavers’ commercial Wine product for Mac and Linux. It runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs ^[1]. A 12-month license costs $54 and includes email and phone support, upgrades and bug fixes for that year; a lifetime license is $494; and there is a free 14-day trial ^[2]. CrossOver 26, released 10 February 2026, is based on Wine 11.0 and ships D3DMetal 3.0 and DXMT; the latest update as of this writing is 26.3.0 from 21 July 2026 ^[3]. CrossOver added initial DirectX 12 support on macOS in version 23, and GOG Galaxy and Epic Games Store support in version 25 ^[3]. CodeWeavers keeps a public compatibility database where users rate how each program runs ^[4].

Limits: it’s paid after the trial, and its per-release compatibility matrix decides which macOS versions each CrossOver version supports (macOS 26 needs CrossOver 25.1.1 or later) ^[1].

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: almost everywhere outside Steam on macOS 26. It’s a supported product with a company you can contact, it has the broadest compatibility testing, it runs non-Steam launchers and ordinary Windows apps, it works on macOS versions older than 26 and on Intel Macs, and buying it funds Wine development, which Bridgeplay itself depends on.

Vermut

Vermut is a free, open-source (MIT) macOS app for running Windows game stores on Apple Silicon Macs. It sets up a separate Wine bottle for Steam, GOG Galaxy and Epic Games, with Epic in beta through the Legendary client rather than the official Epic launcher. Its default engine is a Wine 11 build based on CrossOver 26.3 source, and you can pick DXMT, DXVK with MoltenVK, WineD3D, or Apple’s D3DMetal per bottle. It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later and Rosetta 2, which it offers to install on first launch. There’s no account and no telemetry ^[5].

Limits: D3DMetal, which most DirectX 12 games need, isn’t downloaded for you; you install Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit yourself. The app is unsigned, so Gatekeeper blocks the first launch until you allow it ^[5]. It’s a young project: the repository was created in October 2026 and v1.2.0 came out on 23 October 2026 ^[6].

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: games from GOG or Epic, which Bridgeplay can’t run, and any Mac on macOS 14 or 15.

Whisky community fork

Whisky was a free SwiftUI app for running Windows programs in Wine bottles. Its maintainer posted a maintenance notice in the README on 9 April 2025, saying Whisky is no longer actively maintained, and GitHub shows the original repository as archived on 11 May 2025 ^[7]. The project’s website now points people to CrossOver ^[8]. A community fork by frankea continues development ^[9].

The fork needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later on Apple Silicon and ships Wine 11.0. It lists built-in support for Steam, Epic, EA app, Rockstar and Battle.net, and uses DXMT for DirectX 11 with DXVK as a fallback ^[9]. D3DMetal isn’t bundled; the fork uses it only when a Game Porting Toolkit payload is already on your Mac ^[10]. Its latest release as of this writing is app-v3.7.0 from 30 August 2026 ^[9].

Limits: it’s run by one maintainer, and the plain brew install --cask whisky command still installs the archived original; the fork’s README gives the command for the fork ^[9].

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: macOS 15, the Whisky bottles interface many people already know, and launchers like Epic, EA app and Battle.net.

Porting Kit

Porting Kit is a free app that installs Windows games and apps on macOS using Wineskin wrappers built on Wine ^{[11] [12]}. You pick a game from its library of ports and it sets up the wrapper for you. Its about page says it can still run almost all 32-bit Windows games on 64-bit macOS ^[12]. The current download is Porting Kit 7, for macOS 12 and later ^[13].

Limits: its about page says Apple Silicon support starts with macOS 11.1 and that not every port works on Apple Silicon ^[12]. I couldn’t find a statement on its site about DirectX 12 or about whether the app itself is open source.

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: older games, games sold outside Steam, and anyone who wants a curated one-click installer on macOS 12 or later.

Plain Wine or Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit, DIY

Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit is aimed at developers: it includes an evaluation environment for testing an unmodified Windows game on Apple Silicon, plus tools for porting. Version 4 is the current download on Apple’s site ^[14]. Its D3DMetal component translates DirectX 11 and 12 to Metal ^[18]. CrossOver and Bridgeplay ship it, and Vermut and the Whisky fork can use it if you install it. Apple’s own Homebrew formula builds the toolkit’s Wine for x86_64, so it runs under Rosetta 2 ^[15].

If you’d rather not build anything, Gcenx publishes ready-made macOS builds of Wine Stable, Devel and Staging, installable with brew install --cask wine-stable ^[16], and a binary build of Game Porting Toolkit 3.0 that needs an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 14 or later, with 16 GB of RAM recommended ^[17]. AppleGamingWiki recommends macOS 15 for games that use AVX or AVX2 instructions ^[18].

Limits: you set up and troubleshoot everything yourself, and D3DMetal is covered by Apple’s license, not Wine’s ^[10].

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: full control over Wine versions and settings, any store or launcher, and macOS 14 or 15.

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop runs a real Windows virtual machine. On Apple Silicon it runs the Arm version of Windows 11, and Parallels says it is the solution Microsoft authorizes for running Windows 11 on Apple Silicon ^[19]. Parallels Desktop 26 supports macOS 13.7 Ventura or later on any M-series Mac, and also runs on Intel Macs ^[20]. It’s sold as a yearly subscription in Standard, Pro and Business editions ^[19].

Limits: 3D graphics are supported at the level of DirectX 11.1, and Parallels says some of the latest AAA games may not launch ^[21]. It also says most anti-cheat software won’t run in a virtual machine, and that some games won’t run on Apple Silicon because of architecture incompatibilities ^[22].

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: Arm-native Windows apps, Windows software that isn’t a game, games that need a real copy of Windows and stay within DirectX 11.1, and Macs on macOS 13 through 15 or Intel.

Cloud gaming (GeForce NOW and others)

With cloud gaming, the game runs on a remote PC and your Mac shows a video stream. NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW needs macOS 10.15 or later on any Mac from 2009 onward, at least 15 Mbps for HD at up to 60 fps, and under 80 ms of latency to an NVIDIA data center ^[23]. Its Mac app has had a native Apple Silicon build since version 2.0.40, and its release notes cover Fortnite features such as single sign-on ^[25]. Memberships come in Performance and Ultimate tiers, plus a 24-hour Day Pass ^[24].

Limits: you need a steady, fast connection, you can only play games in the service’s catalog, and you pay for the membership.

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: older or Intel Macs, and not having to install anything large. It may also be worth trying for online games with anti-cheat, since the game runs on the service’s computers. Whether a particular game is offered and allowed there depends on the game and the service, so check both of their support pages.

Native Mac versions

If a game has a macOS version, use it: it needs no translation layer, and the developer supports it. On Steam, check the game’s store page for macOS system requirements. Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit exists partly to help developers make these ports ^[14], so the list grows over time.

Where it’s a better choice than Bridgeplay: always, when it exists.

Bridgeplay

Bridgeplay is a free, open-source (GPL-3.0) app that runs Windows Steam games inside the macOS Steam client: the games sit in your normal Steam library and start with Play. It’s a fork of NotProton. The engine is CodeWeavers’ open-source WineCX, built from the source CodeWeavers publishes, with Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit (D3DMetal) for DirectX 11 and 12, running under Rosetta 2. If you own CrossOver, Bridgeplay can run games on your copy instead. DLSS requests are answered with MetalFX upscaling. How the pieces fit.

Limits:

• Steam games only. It doesn’t run GOG, Epic or other launchers.
• macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later on Apple Silicon. It does not run on macOS 15 or earlier, or on Intel Macs.
• It adds a library to Steam.app and re-signs Steam. Valve doesn’t support or endorse this, and it may go against the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
• Online games with anti-cheat often won’t start, and I can’t promise VAC won’t flag it. Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 run, but VAC keeps them off secure servers.
• It’s experimental hobby software with best-effort support. Results on the compatibility list are player and test reports, not guarantees.

Bridgeplay wouldn’t exist without CodeWeavers’ work on Wine. If CrossOver runs your games, buy it; that money keeps Wine on the Mac moving.

More: install guide · FAQ · how it works.

Which should I pick?

Results vary a lot from game to game, so check yours before you commit to a tool.

How to check if your game will run

• AppleGamingWiki has a page per game with Mac compatibility notes, including CrossOver ratings.
• CodeWeavers’ compatibility database has user ratings for thousands of Windows programs in CrossOver ^[4].
• Bridgeplay’s compatibility list shows games tested with Bridgeplay and the Macs they ran on, with CrossOver ratings from AppleGamingWiki where nobody has tried Bridgeplay yet.
• CrossOver’s 14-day trial ^[2] and Parallels’ free trial ^[19] let you test your own game before paying.