Porting Windows games to mobile platforms is not easy at all. The small size, limited features or poor smartphone drivers compared to the peripherals we use on PCs don’t help. And you also need to emulate code between different systems like Android and Windows.

At least that last part is what Winlator 5 is supposed to make easier, the new version and free and open source project which we have been following since the beginning of its development ten years ago. It uses well-known technologies such as those provided by Wine and Box86/Box64 solutions. It is among the most successful (not perfect for the reasons mentioned) on the market.

Winlator 5, improved

The development has improved with each version, focusing on two main points of each emulator: performance and compatibility. The release notes tell us that this is an interesting build that takes its capabilities to the next level:

• Improved performance.
• Improved task manager.
• Added option to change theme.
• Improved support for XInput, DirectX API for drivers. It is said to improve gameplay in games like Batman Arkham City, Sleeping Dogs, and more.
• Fixed keyboard slowdown in games like GTA V and others.
• More bug fixes and improvements.

Its use is very simple if you want to try it:

• Download and install the Winlator_5.0.apk file from its GitHub page.
• Download the OBB file (main.3.com.winlator.obb) and place it in the /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.winlator directory. Create the directory if it does not exist.
• Run the application and wait for the installation process to complete.

By default, the app looks for games in the “Downloads” folder on your smartphone, but it can be changed to another folder in the settings. Obviously, the app does not provide games, that will be up to the user. You can also change Box86/Box64 behavior or install Wine Mono in the general configuration of the application, which will be necessary for games using the .NET framework. You can add shortcuts to each game or access them from the general Winlator 5 application.

As we told you with previous releases, this app is a gem to polish. There are Windows games that you won’t run at all on Android, and others that work poorly. But there are many others that work quite well. (Mass Effect 2, Fallout 3, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Oblivion…) taking into account the difficulties of Windows emulation on our mobile.