What to use instead of Whisky on a Mac

Updated 29 September 2026 · facts about other projects checked on that day

Whisky is no longer developed: its last release came on 5 April 2025, and its GitHub repository was archived on 11 May 2025. What to use instead depends on what you need: a free open-source option, a game library in one window, or something paid that focuses on input. Uncork is a paid option, and below we say who it does not suit.

What happened to Whisky

Whisky is a free, open-source app that installed the Windows version of Steam and games on a Mac through a compatibility layer. Its last release, 2.3.5, came on 5 April 2025. On 9 April the authors added a notice to the README: the app is no longer actively maintained and games in it may break at any time. On 11 May 2025 the repository was archived and became read-only. Homebrew has marked its cask as deprecated since 9 April 2025.

A copy you have already installed keeps working until a macOS update breaks it. There will be no regular fixes, no new versions of the compatibility layer and no per-game tweaks.

What to look at instead

We read the projects' public pages on 29 September 2026. A comparison table with price, licence, stores and notarization is on the Compare page; here it is by situation.

You want the same thing, alive, and free. The fork frankea/Whisky carries Whisky on: open source (GPL-3.0), latest release 3.7.0 from 30 August 2026, with Steam, Epic, EA App, Rockstar and Battle.net launchers according to the project. It needs macOS 15 or later.
You want an open database of tested games. Highball is free and open source (GPL-3.0), with a public compatibility database whose data is under CC0. The project calls itself a beta, and as of 29 September 19 of the 293 curated games in the database are verified by hand.
You want a large library of ready-made per-game setups. Porting Kit is free (pay what you want), its database has about fifteen hundred entries, and it supports GOG, Steam, Ubisoft Connect, EA/Origin and Battle.net.
You want to build a separate app for each game. Sikarugir is not a game library but a wrapper builder: it produces a separate .app per game. It is free and needs macOS 14.6 or later.
You are ready to pay. Bourbon 26 costs $29.99 or more, once; the app itself is closed, but it publishes its recipes and compatibility data (MIT). Uncork costs 5 € a month or 50 € a year with three days free; the app is closed. They differ in what is inside.

How Uncork differs

Uncork's foundation is the same as Whisky's: a compatibility layer plus Apple's D3DMetal, its own “bottle” with the Windows version of Steam inside, and stores and games in one library. What differs is what has been built on top:

The mouse is read straight from the device, not in batches once per display frame, as macOS delivers it. In detail and with measurements: the article “Why aim feels floaty on a Mac”.
“Even frames” for single-player games: frames reach the screen at equal intervals. We do not recommend this mode in competitive shooters.
Logitech G923 force feedback: tested in Assetto Corsa, details on the game's page.
macOS Game Mode turns on for Windows games too.

The pages of other projects that we read say nothing about mouse input, wheel force feedback or frame evening, but similar changes have already been proposed in shared Mac code, so this may change.

Who Uncork does not suit

Anyone who needs free or open source: Uncork is paid and closed. The driver, derived from a component under the LGPL, ships with the licence and an offer of its source.
Anyone who wants to open the app without a macOS warning: Uncork is not notarized, and the first launch has to be confirmed by hand, as described in the FAQ.
Anyone who plays only games with kernel-level anti-cheat: they will not run in any app of this kind, see the anti-cheat page.
Owners of Intel Macs and macOS older than 14.
Anyone who needs a large list of tested games: we have five, not hundreds, see the list.

Can I move my bottles from Whisky

We have not tested it and do not promise it. If you decide to try, install the new app separately and do not delete the old bottles until you are sure everything works. Steam games are installed again under the same account.