Top app for running Windows apps on Mac gets essential upgrades

By

Wine-Mac
Wine just got a whole lot better.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Wine, the app that lets you run Windows programs inside macOS, just got a massive update that brings a whopping 6,600 changes — including support for 64-bit applications (finally!) and high-resolution Retina displays.

Apple started blurring the lines between macOS and Windows when it joined forces with Intel and ditched PowerPC processors. It’s now easier than ever to run Windows software on a Mac, and thanks to Boot Camp, you can have a dedicated Windows partition on your Apple machine.

But Wine looks to deliver a more seamless experience by giving users the ability to run Windows apps inside macOS, so that they don’t have to have that dedicated Windows environment. The only problem is, Wine came with a lot of drawbacks… until now.

Wine finally supports 64-bit applications now under macOS Sierra — alongside 32-bit apps — which is pretty much a requirement in 2017. It also allows apps to be displayed in high-resolution on Retina displays, and more interface elements now scale correctly on high-DPI screens.

Support for more Direct3D 10 and 11 features have also been added, and WineD3D now recognizes a greater number of graphics cards. There is also a whole host of improvements for things like networking, the kernel, text and fonts, and more.

These improvements won’t just deliver greater performance for Windows apps, but also a greater experience thanks to increased compatibility with more recent technologies. For a full list of the changes, check out the release notes on the Wine website.

And to enjoy them yourself, download Wine version 2.0.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.