Wine is a free and open-source compatibility layer that can run Windows software on Unix-like operating systems. It has been in development since 1993, and the project released its first official Android builds in early 2018. Wine v4.0 is now available, and it has plenty of major improvements across all platforms.

To start with, Wine can now scale applications to work on high-DPI displays, like those found on most smartphones. This feature works on all Wine platforms, but is only enabled in the Android version for now. You can definitely tell the difference compared to older versions — the taskbar and command line used to be ridiculously tiny on my OnePlus 6T.

Other Android-specific improvements include better mouse cursor support on Android 7.0 and higher, initial graphics support on Android 8.0 and higher, and improved program compatibility on 64-bit x86 devices. I couldn't actually test anything, because my phone's internal storage isn't recognized inside of Wine (the root directory is completely blank).

There's still no x86 emulation layer, so ARM Android devices (most phones and tablets) can only run Windows programs compiled for ARM, like these. If you want to run x86 Windows software on ARM, there's always ExaGear.

Wine 4.0 is definitely more exciting on desktop platforms — Vulkan and Direct3D 12 are supported, the file manager has been improved, HID game controllers now work, and more. If you want to try out Wine on your Android device, you can download it from APKMirror or grab it from Wine's official site.

Source: Wine HQ