CrossOver 27 will shed support for Intel-based Macs and 32-bit Windows applications when it launches, CodeWeavers announced on June 11. The update, which requires macOS Sonoma or newer and an Apple Silicon processor, marks a decisive shift toward modern macOS architectures.

For more than a decade, CrossOver has let Mac users run Windows software without installing a full virtual machine or rebooting into Boot Camp. The compatibility layer translates Windows API calls into macOS equivalents on the fly, wrapping entire applications in self-contained “bottles.” CrossOver 27 narrows that compatibility sharply: only 64-bit Windows programs in bottles running on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later will be supported going forward.

CodeWeavers confirmed the details in a blog post and email to customers. The company said the decision was driven by Apple’s own deprecation of legacy technologies and the diminishing share of Intel-based Macs in active use. As Apple stops shipping Rosetta 2 updates for older macOS releases and eliminates 32-bit support at the system level, maintaining the old code paths became untenable.

The end of the road for Intel Macs

Anyone still using a 2019 Mac Pro or a 2020 Intel MacBook Air will be locked out of CrossOver 27 and all future releases. CodeWeavers will continue to offer CrossOver 26 with Intel support under existing licenses, but no further updates will be developed for the architecture. Intel Mac users can keep using CrossOver 26 indefinitely, though they will miss out on application compatibility tweaks and performance improvements delivered in CrossOver 27.

The sunset follows a steady decline in Intel Mac usage. Apple transitioned the entire Mac lineup to Apple Silicon between 2020 and 2023. As of mid-2026, industry estimates place the active Intel Mac install base below 10 percent. CodeWeavers cited internal telemetry showing that over 90 percent of its customers already run Apple Silicon machines with macOS Sonoma or later. Supporting two fundamentally different CPU architectures added considerable engineering overhead, especially as the Wine project—on which CrossOver is based—adopts features that rely on modern ARM64 optimizations.

32-bit bottles vanish

CrossOver 27 also pulls the plug on 32-bit Windows bottle support. This affects a long tail of legacy productivity tools, older games, and custom enterprise applications that were compiled for x86 without a 64‑bit counterpart. Examples include classics like Age of Empires II (original release), many CD‑ROM-era encyclopedia titles, and niche business utilities that never received a 64‑bit update.

Apple removed 32‑bit app support at the OS level starting with macOS Catalina in 2019. CrossOver could still run 32‑bit Windows code because the x86‑64 Wine environment on Intel Macs could switch to 32‑bit mode. On Apple Silicon, however, 32‑bit x86 instructions are not natively supported. Rosetta 2 translates only 64‑bit Intel code. CrossOver 26 and earlier worked around this by using a custom emulation layer for 32‑bit binaries, but that layer required ongoing maintenance and produced inconsistent results. CodeWeavers has decided the effort is no longer justified.

Users who rely on a specific 32‑bit Windows app will need to find a replacement or continue using CrossOver 26. The older version remains functional, though it will not receive updates beyond critical security patches. For users who upgrade to CrossOver 27, any existing 32‑bit bottles will become inaccessible. The company recommends exporting data from those bottles before upgrading.

What stayed the same?

CrossOver 27 is not a complete rewrite. The core Wine translation engine steps up to version 10.0, which brings better DirectX 12 support and smoother handling of modern Windows APIs. The DXVK and MoltenVK backends are updated, promising higher frame rates in Windows games that push graphics hard. The user interface remains familiar—a streamlined Mac app with a database of installer profiles for popular Windows software.

Performance on Apple Silicon benefits from the removal of legacy code paths. Early internal benchmarks show a 10–15 percent speed improvement in CPU‑bound Windows applications compared to CrossOver 26 running on the same M‑series hardware. The company attributes the gains to the elimination of fallback logic that checked for Intel‑specific features before dispatching ARM‑adapted routines.

Migration paths and alternatives

For Intel Mac owners, the choices are limited. The most straightforward option is to continue using CrossOver 26 alongside macOS updates for as long as possible. Apple typically supports older hardware with security updates for a year or two after a hardware model is discontinued. Once those updates stop, running an unpatched operating system carries security risks, so users may need to migrate to Apple Silicon eventually.

Virtualization software such as VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop can still run Windows 11 on Intel Macs, but they require a full Windows license and consume more system resources. For users who only need one or two Windows apps, this overhead may be acceptable. Another alternative is to set up a dedicated Windows machine and access it remotely via Remote Desktop. This approach works across architectures and can be as simple as repurposing an old PC.

Users of 32‑bit apps face a similar fork. Sticking with CrossOver 26 is the easiest path, but some apps can be run inside a lightweight Windows virtual machine with 32‑bit support. Windows 10 and 11 still run 32‑bit applications, though Microsoft has been hinting at a future where 32‑bit app support will be removed. For now, a VM remains a viable stopgap.

Community reaction

Early feedback on the CodeWeavers support forum and social media is mixed. Many Apple Silicon users welcome the performance improvements and see the focus on modern hardware as overdue. Others, particularly those with Intel Macs in production environments, express frustration. Several users have asked for a long‑term support release that would keep Intel compatibility alive for an additional year, but CodeWeavers has said its engineering resources are too limited to maintain two main branches.

A petition to keep 32‑bit bottle support has garnered signatures from users of legacy accounting software and vintage games, but the company has not budged. In a response to a customer comment, a CodeWeavers developer wrote, “We spent an enormous amount of time trying to make 32‑bit work reliably on Apple Silicon, and the result was never good enough. It’s time to move on.”

Looking ahead

CrossOver 27 reflects a broader industry trend of shedding support for outdated architectures. Apple led the charge by dropping 32‑bit apps and transitioning to its own silicon. Microsoft has been slowly phasing out 32‑bit Windows, and Linux distributions are increasingly defaulting to 64‑bit only. CodeWeavers is simply aligning with the platforms it supports.

The next challenge for CrossOver will be compatibility with Windows 11 24H2, which introduces new APIs and security features. CodeWeavers says it is actively working on these issues and expects to ship compatibility updates within weeks of major Windows releases. For now, the company is betting that the vast majority of its user base is ready to leave Intel and 32‑bit behind. CrossOver 27 arrives as a paid upgrade, with introductory pricing for new licenses and discounted upgrades for existing customers. The exact release date is set for late July 2026.

For users who can meet its requirements, CrossOver 27 promises the fastest, most seamless Windows-on-Mac experience yet. For everyone else, the clock is ticking.