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Uncork: frequently asked questions

Updated 6 October 2026 · Uncork 1.0

Short answers to the questions we are asked most. If your answer is not here or feels incomplete, write to hello@uncork.win: a person replies.

The basics

Is Uncork free?

Yes: Uncork runs Windows games from Steam and Epic on an Apple Silicon Mac for free — no account, no payment, no time limit; bottles, Game Mode, gamepad mode, the mouse check, Windows components (.NET, DirectX, fonts) and fixes after crashes are free too. Only Uncork Pro is paid, €19 once: the mouse straight from the device, Even frames, the in-game panel, Content Manager and the race screen for Assetto Corsa, and Logitech G923 force feedback. You can try Pro for seven days, and the trial needs no account.

What is Uncork?

Uncork is a Mac app for Apple Silicon (M1 and later, macOS 14 or later). It runs Windows games from Steam and the Epic Games Store through a compatibility layer for free — with no account and no payment. Only Uncork Pro is paid, €19 once: it reads the mouse straight from the device, evens out frame delivery in single-player games, shows an in-game panel, adds one-click Content Manager and the race screen to Assetto Corsa and adds Logitech G923 wheel force feedback. It is one person's private project, not a company.

Is Uncork just a wrapper? What did you build yourself?

In part, yes: underneath Uncork is an open compatibility layer, the same one other Mac launchers use, and we do not hide it. Its licence and the written offer of the source of our modified driver are in the app: Settings → Help → Component licences. What we built ourselves: a display driver that reads the mouse straight from the device and evens out frames, game preparation, “Find out why”, Game Mode for every game and the gamepad mode. The mouse from the device and Even frames are in Pro; the rest is free. If those do not matter to you, the free core or other free apps will do.

How much does Uncork cost, and what is in Pro?

The app itself is free: games, Steam and Epic, bottles, repairs, Windows components (.NET, DirectX, fonts) and the rest of the core — with no account and no payment. Only Uncork Pro is paid — €19 once, no end date, every 1.x version: the mouse read from the device, Even frames in single-player games (with them, an even 60 on battery), the in-game panel, one-click Content Manager and the race screen for Assetto Corsa, Logitech G923 force feedback; new versions reach Pro first, and you get a direct line to the developer. Pro does not promise that Uncork works on macOS 28 or later: Uncork runs on top of Rosetta (more in the Rosetta answer below). You can try Pro: seven days, counted from the moment you start the trial in Uncork on this Mac, and the trial needs no account. One trial per Mac; sign in to an account during the trial and the days you have left move to it. Pupils of a partner school get another week of Pro on top, and anyone invited by a friend gets 15 % off Uncork Pro. You only need an account if you decide to buy Pro: you pay in your profile on the site, and buying in the app first asks you to sign in and confirm this Mac. Payment is Telegram Stars or crypto (USDT, TON, BTC and more); cards are not accepted yet. Nothing is charged automatically: there is no auto-renewal. Not for you? Write to us in the first 14 days after payment and we refund you, no reasons asked.

How can I pay, and can I get a refund?

Payment is by Telegram Stars or crypto (USDT, TON, BTC and more); a card is not available yet. It is a single payment: there is no auto-renewal, and nothing is charged without you. For the first 14 days after a payment your money is returned with no reasons asked: write to hello@uncork.win and it goes back the way it came. If you have Pro and a game that was already working for you, one from the tested list, or a Pro feature stops working because of an Uncork bug — in the app, the driver, our server or one of our updates — we refund everything you paid for Pro, even after the 14 days, if you write within 30 days of the failure, and Pro stays yours. What is not covered, and the rest of the details, are in the terms.

Which Macs does Uncork run on?

Any Mac with Apple Silicon: M1 and later, macOS 14 or later. It does not run on Intel Macs. Rosetta 2 is also required: until it is installed, the app will not let you create a bottle and shows an install button. We took our frame-rate measurements on one machine, a MacBook Pro 14″ with an M3 Pro and 18 GB, and on others they will differ.

Is there an Uncork for the iPad?

No, and we are not making one: Uncork runs Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs. Why Windows games cannot be run on the iPad itself, and what works instead, is covered on the page “Can you play Windows games on an iPad”.

Do I need a Steam account?

Yes, your own. Uncork installs the Windows version of Steam, you sign in to it yourself and install the games you bought. Your Steam password and Steam Guard code are entered only in the Steam window itself; Uncork does not ask for them, see them or store them. Games you own but have not installed are shown from Steam's own files on your Mac, with no network and no key. An optional Steam Web API key adds the list straight from Steam, which knows exactly which account owns which game.

Is Uncork on GitHub, and is its source code open?

Uncork is a closed-source app that runs Windows games on Apple Silicon Macs: the core is free, Uncork Pro is €19 once. The app's source code is not published. As of 29 September 2026, the only public GitHub repository of ours about the app itself is a pointer page to uncorkmac.com (github.com/aonetimeusername/uncork-releases), with no code and no builds. Other public GitHub projects called Uncork are not this app and not ours; some of them are open source and also about running Windows games on a Mac. The driver, derived from a component under the LGPL, ships with its licence and a written offer of its source (Settings → Help → Component licences).

Safety and first launch

Is Uncork safe?

We try to make sure nothing happens silently: the app's log shows what it does during setup and launch (the install commands and the engine's output), and “Check environment” explains what is installed and what is broken. We never ask for your Steam password. The app is signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple (since version 1.0.12). Uncork does not bypass anti-cheats.

What permissions does Uncork ask for?

Two main ones, both optional. “Input Monitoring” is for reading the mouse directly: without it the driver behaves like the standard one. “Accessibility” is for the gamepad mode that moves the pointer on the Mac, for friends mode, and for the experimental “keep me in the game” mode, which is off by default. Without them games still start, just without those features. If you turn on the Spotify track in Assetto Corsa, macOS may also ask to let Uncork control Spotify.

What data does Uncork store about you?

In short: the email and name you sign in with, a fingerprint of your computer that ties access to one Mac, payment records, the app version and step marks (for example that a driver key was issued, with no game title or duration). If you try it without an account, the Mac fingerprint, the version, the trial dates and the step marks (no game titles). We do not store your Steam password, your list of games or your play time; there are no ads and no third-party analytics, and the site counts only downloads — by day and link tag, with no addresses or fingerprints. The full list is in the privacy policy, and what the app sends from your Mac and where is listed address by address on the page "What Uncork sends".

Does Uncork work on a school or work Mac?

That depends on the settings the administrator chose. If they forbid installing programs yourself, Uncork will not install. And in macOS 27, managed Macs got an App Settings policy that blocks programs signed with an Apple Development certificate; Uncork is signed with exactly that (Rosetta and macOS 27). We have not tested this on a managed Mac, so the simplest way is to ask the administrator or to try a personal Mac.

Games and compatibility

Which games work in Uncork?

We promise only what we have tested ourselves: 14 games — Counter-Strike 2, BeamNG.drive, Assetto Corsa, MiSide, Tiny Bunny, Hello Neighbor, Geometry Dash, Half-Life 2, Portal 2, Lethal Company, Stumble Guys, Among Us, Astroneer and Teardown (most of them only to the menu or the first screen, details in the list), and of the stores, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Other games will probably start too, because the compatibility layer handles a lot, but we have not tested them and promise nothing: without a kernel-level anti-cheat a game may or may not start, and the simplest way is to check yours — launching games is free. Assetto Corsa runs through Steam for free: Uncork installs the Windows components it needs (.NET, DirectX, fonts) for free. Pro adds one-click Content Manager, a race screen to pick the car, weather and time, fixes for modded graphics, and G923 wheel force feedback. The full list with measurements, machine and dates is on the Games page.

Which games will not run?

Games with an anti-cheat that runs as a driver in the Windows kernel: Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, PUBG, Rainbow Six Siege and recent Call of Duty titles. It is not a setting or a bug: macOS has no Windows kernel. Uncork does not bypass such protection. Details and what to do instead are on the anti-cheat page.

How do I know whether a game I own will run?

Look at the game in your library. Fourteen games we ran ourselves are marked as tested by us. For about 380 others, since version 1.1 Uncork shows community reports: "reported to run" or "reported not to run", with the date of the snapshot. These come from the open highball-db database (CC0), are built into the app and need no connection. They describe other people's Macs and setups, so treat them as a hint, not a promise. Games with kernel-level anti-cheat are marked as not running.

Can I put a Windows game in the Dock like a normal Mac app?

Yes, since 1.1. Open the game's menu in Uncork and choose "Create app". Uncork makes a small app with the game's cover as its icon in ~/Applications/Uncork. Drag it to the Dock or find it in Spotlight, and a double-click starts the game through Uncork. "Remove app" moves it to the Trash. Free.

My controller isn't detected or shows up twice. What can I do?

Open the bottle's settings, find "Controllers" and switch from Auto to "Through SDL", then restart the bottle environment (Uncork offers to). Games then see the pad as an Xbox controller; on a DualSense the gyroscope and touchpad may stop working. "HID only" is the other way round. Auto puts everything back. Find out why suggests the same fix. Free, since 1.1.

Can I play Counter-Strike 2 on a Mac?

Yes, you can play it: by our record of 12 September 2026 the game has no macOS version (Steam listed Windows and Linux); Uncork runs its Windows build through a compatibility layer. On a MacBook Pro 14″ with an M3 Pro we got from 102 to 147 frames per second on Dust II: our measurement of 30 September 2026, four runs. The records with their dates and conditions, the game's own reports and what we did not measure are on the page How to play CS2 on a Mac: M3 Pro frame rates, mouse, VAC, FACEIT. Valve gives no guarantees for running it this way, and we have not recorded a match under VAC, so we promise nothing about account bans.

Does Logitech wheel force feedback work?

For the Logitech G923 in its PlayStation and PC version, yes: tested live in Assetto Corsa. Wheel force feedback is part of Uncork Pro (since version 1.0.1; in 1.0 it was in the free core). The Xbox version has not been tested. The G29 is supported in code but not tested on real hardware, and other wheels have not been tested. Details are on the Assetto Corsa page.

Will Assetto Corsa run without Pro?

Yes. Assetto Corsa runs through Steam for free: Uncork installs the Windows components it needs (.NET, DirectX, fonts) for free. Pro adds one-click Content Manager, a race screen to pick the car, weather and time, fixes for modded graphics, and G923 wheel force feedback. The “Prepare to run” button on the game's card does the setup. On ultra graphics it averages 53 fps (3 October 2026, a MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro, the owner's measurement); in the rain with RainFX we saw about 34 (27 September). Details are on the Assetto Corsa page.

Why does aim feel floaty on a Mac, and how is it fixed?

macOS delivers mouse movement to an app in batches once per display frame, so a 1000 Hz mouse turns into 120 events a second on a 120 Hz display. Uncork reads the mouse straight from the device. Measurements and code for developers are in the article “Why aim feels floaty on a Mac”.

How do updates arrive, and why does Pro get new versions sooner?

In two kinds. Fixes — 1.0.1, 1.0.2 and so on — reach everyone, not only Pro: Uncork downloads them by itself and installs them when you quit the app, but never during a game or while Steam is running; you can turn this off in settings: "Install fixes automatically". Notable versions — 1.1, 1.2 and on — bring new features: Uncork shows a banner with the notes, and you install them yourself with the Update button. People with Pro, on the trial or bought, get them sooner than everyone else: that is part of Pro, and the rest get them next. Every version and what changed in it is on the changelog.

An update broke something. How do I go back to the previous version?

The app only installs versions newer than the one you have, so going back is manual and takes a couple of minutes. First turn off "Install fixes automatically" in settings: otherwise Uncork will put the fix back over the previous version when you quit. The previous version number is on the changelog; its image is at uncorkmac.com/updates/Uncork-NUMBER.dmg (for example, Uncork-1.0.0.dmg). Go back to the nearest previous version: older ones don't know about newer bottle settings and reset them when they save. Quit Uncork (⌘Q), open the image and drag Uncork into Applications, replacing the current one. As with the first install, macOS won't open it the first time — see “Why will macOS not open Uncork on first launch?”. Your bottles, Steam, games and sign-in stay as they are, and the previous version puts its own driver back by itself once Steam and your games are closed. Don't go below 1.0: in versions before 1.0, games do not launch without Pro time. Uncork will offer the update again — you don't have to press Update until a version with the fix is out. And tell us what broke: hello@uncork.win or @uncorkwin on Telegram.

Money and access

Does Uncork work offline?

Yes. Games in the free core need no key at all. Pro features run on a driver key: it lives for a week, the app renews it itself while there is a network, and it never outlives your Pro time by more than an hour. Without a connection for longer than a week Pro switches off until you go online once; games keep launching. The Pro module comes from our server once for each version of Uncork, so after an update Pro comes on once the module has downloaded.

What happens without Pro?

Games launch without Pro. When the trial or Pro time runs out, only Pro features switch off: the mouse read from the device, Even frames, the in-game panel, the Assetto Corsa race screen and wheel force feedback. Everything on disk stays yours: the bottle, the Steam installed in it and the games. We erase and lock nothing.

I paid before 1.0. What am I owed?

Everyone who paid before 1.0 got Uncork Pro with no end date: every 1.x version. There is nothing to do. If the app says “No Pro” or something is not right, write to hello@uncork.win or @uncorkwin on Telegram and we will sort it out. What else changed in 1.0 is on the page “What's new in Uncork 1.0”.

Can I move Pro to another Mac?

Yes. Pro is tied to one Mac so that one purchase does not travel across several machines. Changing Macs? Press “Change Mac” in your profile or write to hello@uncork.win: the binding is released at once if you haven’t changed Macs yourself in the last 30 days (more often — by hand, on request), and then you sign in to Uncork on the new Mac. The app and the games need no binding.

What happens if Uncork shuts down?

We will give at least 30 days' notice, on the site and in the app itself. Before shutting down we will release a final version that does not need our server: on Macs where Uncork is already installed, it launches games and Pro features with no sign-in and no key check. It will arrive as a normal in-app update — install it before the shutdown. From the notice on, we take no new payments. Your bottles, Steam and games stay on your Mac — we don't touch them now and won't then. Refunds follow the terms.

What comes next

What happens to Uncork when Apple removes Rosetta?

According to Apple, macOS 27 is the last version with full Rosetta, and macOS 28 keeps only the part needed by older games. Uncork runs on top of Rosetta today, so this is the project's main risk: builds without Rosetta so far exist only as test previews and have no D3DMetal; we do not promise it. On macOS 27 Rosetta has to be reinstalled after the update; when it is missing, Uncork shows a banner with an “Install Rosetta” button (we have not yet tried it live on macOS 27). Pro does not remove this risk: it has no end date, but it does not promise that Uncork works on macOS 28 or later.

How is Uncork different from Highball, Sikarugir and others?

The main difference is input: Uncork reads the mouse from the device (we found nothing like it in the apps we checked) and evens out frames in single-player games. Force feedback for a Logitech G923 wheel is built into Uncork Pro and needs no separate app, but we do not count it as a difference: separate utilities and open-source projects also give wheels force feedback on a Mac. Competitors have things we lack: open source and a public compatibility database. The Uncork core is free too, and only Uncork Pro is paid. The comparison with its date of checking is on the Compare page.

What can I use instead of Whisky?

Whisky is no longer maintained, and a fresh install can no longer download its compatibility layer: the addresses it downloads it from returned an error on 3 October 2026. There are free open-source apps and closed ones; Uncork is closed, with a free core and a paid Uncork Pro. We have not tested moving bottles over from Whisky. Details are on the page “What to use instead of Whisky”.

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