Corresponding source for this build: github.com/casitasoftware/crosswire-source. The mirror carries the source for the current release.

What's new in v1.1

• Adaptive light & dark. Crosswire follows your macOS appearance setting automatically.
• Updates. Check for Updates is under the Crosswire menu.
• One library. Installed apps live in one library and launch with a click. Crosswire can offer common runtimes during install, and applies saved settings for a small list of recognized games.
• Install failures are surfaced. If an install fails or leaves nothing behind, Crosswire shows an alert with the log path so you have somewhere to start.

Using Crosswire

Crosswire runs Windows games and apps on macOS. Install one, point it at a Windows .exe, and it lands in your library, ready to launch with a click. Each install gets its own isolated space, so one app can't break another.

Windows support ships inside Crosswire. The first time you open it, Crosswire sets up Rosetta if your Mac needs it. You don't need Terminal or Homebrew.

I forked Whisky after it was archived in April 2025. Crosswire is free and open source under GPL-3.0. Installed apps appear in the library without a separate bottle to create.

System requirements

• macOS 14.6 (Sonoma) or later
• Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4)
• About 1 GB of free disk space for the base install
• More for the Windows games and apps you add

Install Crosswire

1. Download the latest .dmg from the download link.
2. Open the .dmg and drag Crosswire into Applications.
3. Open it. Windows support is already inside the app, and Crosswire sets up Rosetta if your Mac needs it.

Installing a game or app

1. Click Install Windows App, or drag a Windows .exe onto the window.
2. If it's an installer (Setup.exe and the like), follow its steps as you would on Windows. Crosswire checks the installer for common runtimes and can offer to add them.
3. When the install finishes, the app should appear in your library. Click it to launch it. If it does not, see the docs.

Portable apps work the same way: drop the .exe on the window and it joins your library once it runs.

How it handles compatibility

At launch, Crosswire checks for updates to its Windows compatibility layer. You can turn that off in Settings. During app installation, it checks for common runtimes such as Visual C++ and .NET and can offer to add them. It also applies saved settings for a small list of recognized games.

Troubleshooting

App won't open? It is often a missing runtime, which Crosswire can offer to add during install. If one still won't launch, reinstall it so detection runs again, or use Launch with Diagnostics from the app's page to capture a log. For more, see the docs.

Uninstalling Crosswire

Use the built-in uninstaller: Settings → Advanced → Uninstall Crosswire…, also in the Crosswire menu. It stops anything still running, removes the data Crosswire can regenerate, asks separately before touching your installed Windows apps, then reveals Crosswire in Finder so you can drag it to the Trash to finish. Installed apps are kept unless you opt in, since they can be large and hold your save data.

Dragging Crosswire to the Trash removes the app itself and nothing else. macOS gives an app no uninstall hook, so nothing runs when you delete it. If you have already done that, the docs list what is left behind and where to find it.

Supporting Crosswire

Crosswire is free and open source under GPL-3.0. Sponsoring on GitHub goes toward an Apple Developer account, so the app can be signed and notarized.

Get the source

The source is published at github.com/casitasoftware/crosswire-source. For bugs and feedback, email contact@casitasoftware.com.

Corresponding source for this build: github.com/casitasoftware/crosswire-source. The mirror carries the source for the current release.