Repolode
Submit
gauthierpiarrette

gauthierpiarrette/highball

A native macOS app that sets up Wine and graphics renderers to run Windows games on Apple Silicon, backed by an open compatibility database.

Open-source alternative to:CrossOver

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
1,648
Forks
68
Open issues
82
Last commit
yesterday

What is it?

Highball is a native macOS app and CLI for running Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs. It sets up Wine, DXMT, D3DMetal and DXVK, installs Steam or connects an Epic library through Legendary, and lets you choose a renderer per game.

Each game verdict comes from highball-db, a CC0 compatibility dataset that records verified runs, renderer recommendations, and kernel anti-cheat blocklist entries, with provenance for each claim. Users can check whether a title is likely to run before downloading it. Verified runs, community reports and machine-derived predictions are labelled separately.

Engines are built from pinned, SHA-256-verified upstream releases, and some game-specific patches are published in the repository. The app requires Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later, and is licensed under GPL-3.0.

Key features

  • 01One-click setup of Wine and graphics renderers on Apple Silicon Macs
  • 02Per-game renderer selection informed by the compatibility database
  • 03Steam installation and Epic library access via Legendary
  • 04Open CC0 compatibility database with provenance for each verdict
  • 05Command-line interface that mirrors the app's functions

Use cases

  • Checking whether a Windows game will run on a Mac before downloading it
  • Playing Steam or Epic titles on an M-series Mac without a Windows PC
  • Building tools or recipes on top of an open Wine compatibility dataset

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install via Homebrew

    brew install --cask highball
  2. 2

    Or download the .dmg from the releases page, drag to Applications and open it

Things to know

  • macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon only.
  • Beta stage: setup works end to end, but many games and launchers are not verified.
  • Some launchers (GOG Galaxy, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect) are not working or unverified.
  • Full CLI setup requires cloning two repos, building from source, and an optional Apple D3DMetal license acceptance.

Topics

#wine#apple-silicon#macos#gaming#windows-games#compatibility-database#swiftui#whisky-alternative

FAQ

What is highball?
A native macOS app that sets up Wine and graphics renderers to run Windows games on Apple Silicon, backed by an open compatibility database. Highball is a native macOS app and CLI for running Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs. It sets up Wine, DXMT, D3DMetal and DXVK, installs Steam or connects an Epic library through Legendary, and lets you choose a renderer per game.
Is highball free to use? What license does it have?
highball is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is highball still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to highball was on Oct 19, 2026.
What can I use highball for?
Checking whether a Windows game will run on a Mac before downloading it Playing Steam or Epic titles on an M-series Mac without a Windows PC Building tools or recipes on top of an open Wine compatibility dataset
How do I install highball?
Install via Homebrew: brew install --cask highball Or download the .dmg from the releases page, drag to Applications and open it
Where can I get highball?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/gauthierpiarrette/highball

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects