Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
๐ Get Bourbon 26 here: mikethetech.itch.io/bourbon26
Play Windows games, Steam, and Android apps on your Apple Silicon Mac โ one app, no Terminal, and no Windows licence. In this full walkthrough of the Bourbon 26 update I set everything up from scratch, then actually play Subnautica, Palworld, and Overwatch so you can see where it really stands.
Bourbon 26 is a native macOS app that installs and manages the entire Windows gaming stack for you: Wine, DXVK, MoltenVK, Steam, and Apple's Game Porting Toolkit. Instead of hand-tuning bottles and launch options, you press one button and it handles the rest. Smart Play then picks the right graphics path for each title โ DXVK, DXMT, D3DMetal, WineD3D, or a native Mac build โ and applies the known fixes automatically.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
WHAT BOURBON RUNS ON YOUR MAC
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ฎ Windows games โ your Steam library, plus Epic, GOG and Amazon through Heroic, and the Battle.net, EA and Ubisoft launchers
๐ช Windows apps โ install any .exe or .msi and run it like a Mac app
๐ค Android + Google Play โ seven device types: tablet, phone, foldable, flip, Google TV, Automotive and desktop
๐น๏ธ Retro consoles โ one-click emulators with a ROM library, real box art and clean logos
โ๏ธ Cloud & remote play โ Xbox Cloud, GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, Boosteroid, Moonlight and PlayStation Remote Play
๐งช Experimental โ macOS guests, Windows 11 ARM64 with unattended install, custom UTM builds, and Bourbon Linux (a custom SteamOS)
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
CHAPTERS
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
0:00 Intro
0:17 Easier Setup & Updates
0:47 Game Stores
1:19 Shared Libraries
2:06 Installing / Playing Games
2:32 Smart Play Page
3:19 MetalFX Upscaling
4:03 Android + Play Store
6:04 Google TV
7:06 Emulators
7:54 Local / Cloud Remote Play
8:42 Windows Software & Apps
8:57 Custom Bottle Shelf
9:55 Experimental: macOS Guests
10:20 Windows 11 (ARM64)
11:02 Unattended Windows Install
12:34 Customizable UTM Build
13:13 Launching Windows 11
14:00 Bourbon Linux (Custom SteamOS)
15:51 Testing Games
16:20 Subnautica
17:11 Palworld
18:00 Overwatch
19:43 Final Thoughts
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
COMMON QUESTIONS
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
What is Bourbon 26?
Bourbon 26 is a native macOS app that installs and manages Wine, DXVK, MoltenVK, Steam and Game Porting Toolkit so Apple Silicon Macs can run Windows games, Windows apps, Android apps and retro emulators from one place.
Do I need a Windows licence?
No. Windows games run through compatibility and graphics translation layers directly on macOS. There is no Windows licence to buy for the Wine path and nothing to configure by hand.
What Macs does it support?
Apple Silicon Macs (M1 or newer) running macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Is this a virtual machine?
No. The main gaming path is translation, not virtualization โ so you keep full Metal acceleration. Bourbon does include optional experimental VM tooling for macOS guests, Windows 11 ARM64 and Bourbon Linux.
Does every game work?
No. Titles with kernel-level anti-cheat generally will not run. Bourbon shows a verified profile where one exists and community compatibility data where it does not, so you know what to expect before installing.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Download the free trial and sign in with itch.io for a 24-hour unlock to test your own games first. Bourbon 26 is $29.99, and one purchase covers 3 Macs.
Is any of it open source?
Yes. Bourbon-OSS is MIT-licensed and ships the Smart Play recipes, community compatibility catalogues, a MoltenVK-friendly DXVK D3D9 patch, and the Steam CEF shim that fixes the black Steam UI under Wine on Apple Silicon.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
LINKS
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ฅ Bourbon 26: mikethetech.itch.io/bourbon26
Every build is Developer ID signed, Apple notarized, and updates itself in-app.
If this helped, a like and a subscribe genuinely go a long way. Drop a comment with the game you want tested next and I'll try to get it in the next compatibility round.
#MacGaming #AppleSilicon #Bourbon26 #WindowsOnMac #SteamOnMac #MacBookPro #M4Mac #PCGaming #Wine #GamePortingToolkit #AndroidOnMac #SteamOS #Emulation #CloudGaming #MikeTheTech
Affiliate Disclosure: This video may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows me to keep creating content. Thank you for your support!
๐ Get Bourbon 26 here: mikethetech.itch.io/bourbon26
Play Windows games, Steam, and Android apps on your Apple Silicon Mac โ one app, no Terminal, and no Windows licence. In this full walkthrough of the Bourbon 26 update I set everything up from scratch, then actually play Subnautica, Palworld, and Overwatch so you can see where it really stands.
Bourbon 26 is a native macOS app that installs and manages the entire Windows gaming stack for you: Wine, DXVK, MoltenVK, Steam, and Apple's Game Porting Toolkit. Instead of hand-tuning bottles and launch options, you press one button and it handles the rest. Smart Play then picks the right graphics path for each title โ DXVK, DXMT, D3DMetal, WineD3D, or a native Mac build โ and applies the known fixes automatically.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
WHAT BOURBON RUNS ON YOUR MAC
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ฎ Windows games โ your Steam library, plus Epic, GOG and Amazon through Heroic, and the Battle.net, EA and Ubisoft launchers
๐ช Windows apps โ install any .exe or .msi and run it like a Mac app
๐ค Android + Google Play โ seven device types: tablet, phone, foldable, flip, Google TV, Automotive and desktop
๐น๏ธ Retro consoles โ one-click emulators with a ROM library, real box art and clean logos
โ๏ธ Cloud & remote play โ Xbox Cloud, GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, Boosteroid, Moonlight and PlayStation Remote Play
๐งช Experimental โ macOS guests, Windows 11 ARM64 with unattended install, custom UTM builds, and Bourbon Linux (a custom SteamOS)
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
CHAPTERS
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
0:00 Intro
0:17 Easier Setup & Updates
0:47 Game Stores
1:19 Shared Libraries
2:06 Installing / Playing Games
2:32 Smart Play Page
3:19 MetalFX Upscaling
4:03 Android + Play Store
6:04 Google TV
7:06 Emulators
7:54 Local / Cloud Remote Play
8:42 Windows Software & Apps
8:57 Custom Bottle Shelf
9:55 Experimental: macOS Guests
10:20 Windows 11 (ARM64)
11:02 Unattended Windows Install
12:34 Customizable UTM Build
13:13 Launching Windows 11
14:00 Bourbon Linux (Custom SteamOS)
15:51 Testing Games
16:20 Subnautica
17:11 Palworld
18:00 Overwatch
19:43 Final Thoughts
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
COMMON QUESTIONS
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
What is Bourbon 26?
Bourbon 26 is a native macOS app that installs and manages Wine, DXVK, MoltenVK, Steam and Game Porting Toolkit so Apple Silicon Macs can run Windows games, Windows apps, Android apps and retro emulators from one place.
Do I need a Windows licence?
No. Windows games run through compatibility and graphics translation layers directly on macOS. There is no Windows licence to buy for the Wine path and nothing to configure by hand.
What Macs does it support?
Apple Silicon Macs (M1 or newer) running macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Is this a virtual machine?
No. The main gaming path is translation, not virtualization โ so you keep full Metal acceleration. Bourbon does include optional experimental VM tooling for macOS guests, Windows 11 ARM64 and Bourbon Linux.
Does every game work?
No. Titles with kernel-level anti-cheat generally will not run. Bourbon shows a verified profile where one exists and community compatibility data where it does not, so you know what to expect before installing.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Download the free trial and sign in with itch.io for a 24-hour unlock to test your own games first. Bourbon 26 is $29.99, and one purchase covers 3 Macs.
Is any of it open source?
Yes. Bourbon-OSS is MIT-licensed and ships the Smart Play recipes, community compatibility catalogues, a MoltenVK-friendly DXVK D3D9 patch, and the Steam CEF shim that fixes the black Steam UI under Wine on Apple Silicon.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
LINKS
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
๐ฅ Bourbon 26: mikethetech.itch.io/bourbon26
Every build is Developer ID signed, Apple notarized, and updates itself in-app.
If this helped, a like and a subscribe genuinely go a long way. Drop a comment with the game you want tested next and I'll try to get it in the next compatibility round.
#MacGaming #AppleSilicon #Bourbon26 #WindowsOnMac #SteamOnMac #MacBookPro #M4Mac #PCGaming #Wine #GamePortingToolkit #AndroidOnMac #SteamOS #Emulation #CloudGaming #MikeTheTech
Affiliate Disclosure: This video may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows me to keep creating content. Thank you for your support!
