Winlator
| Developer(s) | BrunoSX |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 11.1 [+] |
| Active | Yes |
| Platform(s) | Android |
| Architecture(s) | ARM |
| Emulates | Windows |
| Website | winlator.org |
| Support ($) | Buy Me A Coffee |
| Programmed in | C, Java |
| License | MIT |
| Source code | GitHub |
Winlator is an open-source Windows Compatibility layer for Android, using Box86/Box64 and Wine. Winlator is centered around playing x86 and x86_64 Windows games on ARM-based Android devices. The source code is purposefully held behind a couple of versions in order to prevent unofficial releases.
As of Summer 2025, its development stalled due to an incident where Winlator was shipped with a virus (numerous users reported that their antivirus software detected the virus but the main developer kept dismissing the reports and kept saying these are false alarms until 1 user managed to prove that the virus was indeed there. Due to developer's decision to keep sources closed, the identification of virus presence was delayed which could have been avoided if the project was open-source in which case it would have been stamped out earlier. Some users started blaming the developer accusing him of negligence due to continual dismissing of virus reports if not of outright malice and foul-play by deliberately shipping of infected builds. After that, the main developer stamped out the virus and froze the project. It's currently unknown whether he returns to work on Winlator later or he completely left because he feels he can no longer proceed with it either out of shame/guilf or out Winlator community's hostile reactions due to the circumstances surrounding the incident. It should be noted that virus wasn't dangerous to Android OS itself but rather it was affecting the emulated Windows environment infecting games' executables, and the user was otherwise safe for as long as he kept playing games on his Android device; danger was only if he transferred an infected .exe file back to his computer and launched it).
Downloads
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11.1 |
