Highball

Windows games for Mac gamers

WHO USES ITMac gamer · Former Whisky user · Mac user

Install to use

Runs Windows games on Apple Silicon and tells you if yours will work.

★ 723▲ +55 / 7d▲ 5 HNlast 14 days · stars per dayhollow = no dataAs of 09-16 21:00 UTC

723 stars · checked on GitHub 09-15 19:34 UTC GitHub check 30 h late · incl. +4 observed via GH Archive since then · 7-day +55 observed via GH Archive (as of 09-16 21:00 UTC) · 5 Show HN points observed 09-13 14:07 UTC

CROSS-SIGNAL Show HN + GitHub

Highball library: All, Steam and Epic filters at the top, twelve game covers below, each marked Verified.

TESIGN TAKE

The real product is the CC0 compatibility database behind the app.

INSTALL

AT A GLANCE

LICENSE: GPL-3.0
USAGE: Use freely. Release your source if you redistribute (copyleft).
LANGUAGE: Swift
PLATFORM: macos · cli
ACTIVITY: last commit 1 day ago (2026-09-15) · latest pre-release v0.9.21 (2026-09-15) · 75 releases As of 09-15 19:34 UTC
COMMUNITY: 3 contributors · 35 open issues (incl. PRs) · made by: an individual As of 09-15 19:34 UTC
SOURCES: Show HN + GitHub
OPEN SOURCE: YES
FIRST SEEN: 2026-09-13 07:43 UTC
CATEGORY: GAMES

A summary, not legal advice.

WHY IT MATTERS

Tools that run Windows games on a Mac make you pick a Wine build yourself, and you only learn whether a game works after installing it. Highball sets up Wine, DXMT, D3DMetal and DXVK, connects a Steam or Epic library, and pulls per-game renderer verdicts and the anti-cheat blocklist from an open CC0 database before you download anything. App and CLI are GPL-3.0, the data is CC0, and the README rules out a paid tier. Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or newer only, and still in beta.

BUILD FROM THIS

A personal check of Mac compatibility before buying a game
A runtime for a Windows-only program on an office Mac
Your own lookup page built on the CC0 compatibility data

WHO IT'S FOR

Mac gamer: wants to know a Windows-only game will run before buying
Former Whisky user: looking for a replacement
Mac user: one Windows-only work program left to run

START IN 5 MINUTES

$ brew install --cask gauthierpiarrette/highball/highball
# Or drag Highball.dmg from Releases into Applications and press Get started
# Apple Silicon · macOS 14+ · the first run downloads the engine and takes a while

CAVEATS

Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or newer only
Beta; the first run can take 15 to 25 minutes
D3DMetal requires accepting Apple's separate license

RECEIPT

FIRST SEEN: 2026-09-13 07:43 UTC
AT SOURCE: 2026-08-23 20:35 UTC
KEPT: 2026-09-14 02:41 UTC
STAR DELTA: +2 ★ / 24h As of 09-16 21:00 UTC
CREATED → FIRST SEEN: 20d
WHEN FIRST SEEN: 352 ★
SOURCES: Show HN + GitHub

The same facts in machine-readable form — View as Markdown · JSON

SIMILAR TOOLS

Up to five from GAMES by ★ total: edited entries first, then repository cards; this entry is highlighted. Drawn from the same stored snapshot as the rankings — a comparison, not a recommendation. As of 09-16 21:00 UTC

NAME	★ TOTAL	▲ 7d	LICENSE	PLATFORM	LAST PUSH
HighballWindows games for Mac gamersTHIS ENTRY	★ 723	▲ +55	GPL-3.0copyleft	macos · cli	2026-09-15
godotengine/godotCARD	★ 117k	▲ +17	MITpermissive	—	2026-09-13
game1024/openspeedyCARD	★ 17.7k	—	GPL-3.0copyleft	—	2026-09-12
hydralauncher/hydraCARD	★ 16.9k	▲ +7	MITpermissive	—	2026-09-13
utkarshdalal/gamenativeCARD	★ 10.5k	▲ +4	GPL-3.0copyleft	—	2026-09-13

TIMELINE

2026-08-23 20:35 UTCRepository created
2026-08-26 15:16 UTCShow HN post ↗
2026-09-13 07:43 UTCFIRST SEEN BY TESIGN
2026-09-14 02:41 UTCPublished on TESIGN

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