What's new in v1.1

• Adaptive light & dark. Crosswire follows your macOS appearance setting with a proper light and dark theme.
• Apps appear by name. After installing software, Crosswire reads the Start Menu shortcuts the installer creates and shows the real app name. Notepad++ shows as Notepad++, not "npp.8.9.6.Installer.x64".
• Automatic updates. Check for Updates under the Crosswire menu works end-to-end. If you're on v1.1.1 or later, future releases arrive automatically.
• A library, not a control panel. Installed apps live in one searchable library and launch with a click. Setup that used to be manual — runtimes, per-game tweaks — now happens automatically at install time.
• 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.

What it does

Crosswire runs Windows games and apps on macOS. Install one — point it at a Windows .exe — and it lands in your library, launching from the Dock as if it were a native Mac app. Each app runs in its own isolated space, so games, office apps, and throwaway installs never step on each other.

Crosswire is a fork of Whisky, which was archived in April 2025. The first time you open it, it downloads what it needs to run Windows software and sets up Rosetta if your Mac doesn't have it. You don't need a Terminal or Homebrew.

Coming from Whisky? Crosswire is the direct replacement, free and open source under GPL-3.0. The workflow is simpler now — install an app and it's in your library; there's no separate environment to set up and manage.

System requirements

• macOS 14 (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. Launch it. On first run it downloads its compatibility layer automatically — then you're ready.

Installing a game or app

1. Click Install a Game or 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 adds any runtimes the app needs automatically as it goes.
3. The app appears in your library by name. Click to launch it — or pin it to the Dock.

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

How it handles compatibility

Crosswire handles the technical parts for you. It keeps the Windows compatibility layer updated in the background, and while you install an app it spots the common Windows runtimes that app needs (like Visual C++ or .NET) and offers to install them. For games it recognizes, it applies that title's known-good settings automatically. There are no graphics backends or version dropdowns to pick from.

Troubleshooting

App won't open? It's usually a missing runtime, which Crosswire offers 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 wiki.

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 properly signed and notarized — and toward keeping the lights on.

Get the source

Code, issues, and discussion at github.com/Grubwire/crosswire-source. PRs welcome.