CrossOver is one of the most popular ways to run Windows applications on other operating systems. It's based on the open-source Wine project (CrossOver's developers are some of the most significant contributors to Wine's codebase), but with easier installation for hundreds of applications and games. CodeWeavers has now released CrossOver version 21, with some helpful improvements included for all three operating systems.

CrossOver 21 is based on Wine 6.0, first released in January, which includes a new Vulkan backend for Direct3D, DirectShow and Media Foundation support, and an updated text console. CrossOver also now includes Wine Mono by default, which is the open-source implementation of Microsoft's .NET Framework.

CrossOver home screen
CrossOver on Linux (Credit: CodeWeavers)

Besides everything present in Wine 6.0, the new update has a few improvements for Mac. Dark mode is now supported, and Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers work with Bluetooth on macOS Big Sur 11.3. On Linux, various login and multi-monitor issues have been fixed with Office 365, and CrossOver now has faster startup times on Chrome OS.

CrossOver's main selling point (yes, it's paid software) is that it adds an easy-to-use interface on top of Wine, with pre-configured installers and settings for hundreds of popular applications and games. It's similar in that respect to Lutris or PlayOnLinux/PlayOnMac, but with actual customer support.

CrossOver 21 is available to purchase from the CodeWeavers website. If you're buying a new license, CodeWeavers has a 30% off promotion until August 17 — just enter code CX3021 at checkout.