Play Windows games on your Mac
Harbor runs Steam, the EA app, Ubisoft Connect and other Windows games on Apple silicon Macs. It uses Wine and translates DirectX to Apple's Metal, and it is free and open source.
macOS 14.6 or later · M1 or later · No account, no tracking
From download to playing in three steps
Prepare Harbor
On first launch, Harbor downloads Wine and its graphics translators once, checks each against a published SHA-256 checksum, and keeps them in its own folder.
Create a bottle
A bottle is a separate Windows environment. Pick Steam, the EA app or Ubisoft Connect and Harbor installs it from the publisher's own installer, or run any Windows installer you have.
Play
Your games appear in Harbor's library. Press Play, or start them from their launcher just as you would on a PC.
What a Windows game needs, in a Mac app
No Terminal, no Wine prefixes to manage by hand. Harbor sets things up and tells you why.
The right renderer for every game
Each bottle uses one of four ways to turn Direct3D into Apple's Metal: DXMT, D3DMetal, DXVK or Wine's own. Harbor reads a game's files, sees which DirectX version it uses, and recommends the renderer that suits it, with the reason.
MetalFX upscaling, and DLSS through MetalFX for games that offer it, are there to try too (experimental).
Settings for each game
Launch arguments, the Windows version a game sees, DLL overrides for mods, and environment variables, set per game in a clear sheet. Nothing to edit by hand in Wine's registry.
Snapshots and save backups
Before every risky change, Harbor takes a snapshot of the whole bottle: an instant copy that takes no extra space until something changes. If an update or a mod goes wrong, put the bottle back as it was.
Back up your game saves to your Documents folder in one click.
Components that stay up to date
New versions of Wine and the graphics translators install from inside Harbor, after a snapshot of every bottle, with a way back if a new version doesn't suit your games.
And there's more
Steam, EA app and Ubisoft Connect
Installed from their publishers' own installers. Steam and EA app games join Harbor's library as soon as they finish installing.
Any Windows installer
Choose an .exe or .msi, or drop it on Harbor's window. Harbor runs it in a bottle and lists the programs it installed.
Your controller, as an Xbox pad
Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and most other controllers are recognised through SDL and shown to games as an Xbox controller.
Windows runtimes in one click
Visual C++ runtimes, .NET Desktop Runtime 8 and the DirectX helper libraries, downloaded from Microsoft.
Measured, not guessed
Average and low frame rate and GPU time for every session you play, so you can compare renderers side by side.
No account, no tracking
Harbor has no analytics. It only connects to the internet to download what you ask for.
How Harbor turns DirectX into Metal
Windows games draw with Microsoft's DirectX; Macs draw with Metal. A renderer translates between the two, and each suits different games.
| Renderer | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DXMT | DirectX 10 and 11 straight to Metal | Most 64-bit DirectX 11 games |
| D3DMetal | Apple's DirectX 11 and 12 translation, from the Game Porting Toolkit | DirectX 12 games |
| DXVK | DirectX 9, 10 and 11 through Vulkan and MoltenVK | 32-bit DirectX 10 and 11 games, some DirectX 9 games |
| Wine (wined3d) | Wine's own Direct3D, over OpenGL | Older games; the widest compatibility |
Tested most with Assassin's Creed III Remastered through Ubisoft Connect: missions play at about 60 fps on DXMT on an M4 Pro. DXMT vs D3DMetal vs DXVK, explained.
Ready to play?
Harbor needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later), macOS 14.6 or later, Rosetta, and about 3 GB of free space plus room for your games.
Questions
Is Harbor really free?
Yes. Harbor is free and open-source software under the MIT licence. You can support its development on Ko-fi if you like; donations are optional and unlock nothing.
Do I need a copy of Windows?
No. Harbor uses Wine, which provides the parts of Windows that games and launchers use. You only need the games themselves, from Steam, EA, Ubisoft or elsewhere.
Does it work on Intel Macs?
No. Harbor is made for Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 14.6 or later.
Support Harbor
Harbor is free. If you enjoy it, you can support its development on Ko-fi. Donations are optional and unlock nothing: every feature is for everyone. Questions? Email builtbyargo@proton.me.