brunodev85/winlator

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 17,588CAudience · generalComplexity · 4/5Setup · hard

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((winlator))
    Inputs
      Windows exe files
      Container configs
      Compatibility presets
    Outputs
      Running Windows apps
      Playable games
    Use Cases
      Run old PC games on phone
      Test Windows tools on Android
      Play DirectX games on ARM
    Tech Stack
      C
      Wine
      Box86
      Box64
      DXVK
      Mesa

mindmap root((winlator)) Inputs Windows exe files Container configs Compatibility presets Outputs Running Windows apps Playable games Use Cases Run old PC games on phone Test Windows tools on Android Play DirectX games on ARM Tech Stack C Wine Box86 Box64 DXVK Mesa

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Play older Windows PC games on an Android tablet without a PC.

USE CASE 2

Run a Windows-only desktop utility on an Android phone in a container.

USE CASE 3

Tune Box64 presets to get a specific game running smoothly on ARM.

USE CASE 4

Set up per-game shortcuts with isolated compatibility settings.

What is it built with?

CWineBox64DXVKMesaAndroid

How does it compare?

	brunodev85/winlator	reactos/reactos	ffmpegwasm/ffmpeg.wasm
Stars	17,588	17,515	17,475
Language	C	C	C
Setup difficulty	hard	hard	moderate
Complexity	4/5	5/5	3/5
Audience	general	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Per-game tuning of Box64, DXVK, and Wine container settings is often needed before anything runs well.

In plain English

Winlator is an Android app that lets you run Windows programs on your Android phone or tablet. It does this by combining two tools: Wine, a compatibility layer that translates Windows calls into something a non-Windows system can understand, and Box86/Box64, which translates x86/x64 processor instructions (the kind Windows programs are built for) into the ARM instructions that most Android devices use. In practice, this means you install Winlator from its APK file, create a "container" (an isolated environment that mimics a Windows installation), and then launch Windows software inside it, including some games. The app includes settings to tune performance and stability: you can switch between performance-focused and stability-focused presets for Box64, configure environment variables for specific compatibility quirks, and set per-game shortcuts with individual settings. Winlator bundles several additional components: Mesa (for graphics translation through Turnip, Zink, and VirGL drivers), DXVK (which maps DirectX calls to Vulkan for better graphics performance), VKD3D (for DirectX 12 support), and CNC DDraw (for older games using legacy graphics). Wine Mono can be installed separately inside the container for programs that require the .NET Framework. You would use Winlator if you want to run Windows desktop applications or games on an Android device without needing a PC. It is written primarily in C and distributed as a free, open-source Android application.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Install Winlator on an Android tablet and walk me through running my first Windows game.

Prompt 2

Pick the right Box64 preset and DXVK settings for running an old DirectX 11 game in Winlator.

Prompt 3

Create a Winlator container with Wine Mono installed for a .NET Framework app.

Prompt 4

Debug why a Windows exe crashes on launch inside a Winlator container.

Prompt 5

Compare Winlator to ExaGear and Mobox for running Windows games on Android.

Frequently asked questions

What is winlator?

Winlator is an Android app that runs Windows programs and games on ARM phones using Wine plus Box86/Box64 for x86 translation, with DXVK for graphics.

What language is winlator written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes C, Wine, Box64.

How hard is winlator to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is winlator for?

Mainly general.

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