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Step by step rundown of the Settings in Winlator

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Creating a Container

When you first load into Winlator, you’ll need to create a container—this acts as the “fake PC” where your games will run.

How to create a container:

  • Tap the âž• Plus sign on the top right of the screen to create a new container.
  • You’ll see several settings—don’t worry, we’ll go through them one by one.

Screen Size (Resolution)

This controls the resolution of your virtual PC. By default, it’s 720p, but you should match it to your phone’s screen for the best experience.

Common Aspect Ratios & Resolutions:

  • 16:9 → 1280Ă—720 (720p)
  • 18:9 → 1440Ă—720
  • 19.5:9 → 1560Ă—720
  • 20:9 → 1600Ă—720
  • 21:9 → 1680Ă—720

Example: If your phone has a 21:9 screen, set it to 1680Ă—720 for a perfect fit.

Driver Selection

What are drivers?

Drivers act as the “fake GPU” for your “fake PC.” They translate PC graphics commands into something your phone understands.

Which driver should you pick?

  • For most Snapdragon phones: Turnip drivers (Best performance for Snapdragon chips)
  • For Snapdragon 8 Elite & newer chips: Vortek drivers (No Turnip support available)

DirectX Wrapper (DX Wrapper)

  • Default setting: DXVK (Best for most games)
  • If a game doesn’t work properly, you can always try switching to different DXVK versions.
  • Newer DXVK updates aren’t always better! If something breaks, test older versions. The most common working versions are 1.7.2 and 1.10.3.

Audio Driver

  • Default setting: ALSA (Works for most games)
  • If you have sound issues: Try Pulseaudio, as some games run better with it.

Environment Variables

What are Environment Variables?

Environment Variables allow you to manually tweak the way Winlator handles certain games. These settings are not required for most games, but in some cases, applying the right variable can fix graphical issues, improve performance, or even make a game launch when it otherwise wouldn’t.

When should you use them?

  • If a specific game does not launch or crashes frequently
  • If a game has graphical bugs, missing textures, or shader issues
  • If a game is running much slower than expected

How to find the right Environment Variables?

  • Search Google for your game name + “Your phones processor”
  • Some games require specific tweaks to function properly—these tweaks can be entered manually in this section.

How to apply an Environment Variable?

  1. Open the Environment Variables tab in Winlator.
  2. Tap Add Variable and enter the required value.
  3. Save and restart the game to test the effect.

Advanced Settings

The Advanced Settings section is located in a separate tab. To access it:

  • Swipe all the way to the right after selecting your container settings.

Box Preset

What is a Box Preset?

Box Preset

Box presets control how Winlator allocates system resources and adjusts compatibility settings for different games. It tweaks memory management, CPU handling, and how the virtual Windows environment interacts with your phone’s hardware.

  • Start with: Compatibility (More stable, ensures better game compatibility)
  • If a game runs well: Move up to Performance for better FPS
    If games crash or don’t launch, dial it back to Compatibility.
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CPU Count

  • Leave at default for most games.
  • Some games perform better with more or fewer CPU cores.

Congrats, you’ve got Winlator fully set up! Now you’re ready to start running PC games on your phone.
If something isn’t working right, don’t stress—try tweaking some of the settings mentioned here, or check online for game-specific fixes.

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