What's new in Wine 11.6, out now
This release is one for those who yearn for Android-on-Linux.
The Wine development team released version 11.6 of their compatibility layer for running Windows apps on Linux on April 2, 2026.
What's new
- The groundwork for Android on Linux: lot of work was done
- Better support for mods: It's getting easier to install mods in your Windows games thanks to improved handling of the custom DLL files those mods often rely on.
What's getting better
- Old-school scripting in Windows: The tooling for VBScript, a language Microsoft deprecated a few years ago, has been improved so you can continue scripting the way it's been done since Windows 98.
- Watching videos: There were several bug fixes for MPEG-1 video, meaning you can more reliably watch videos in one of the most popular formats.
Diving in
The fineprint: Did I miss something important? Check the release notes for the full changelog.
Get it now: Update your Linux system if Wine is already installed, and bleeding-edge distros should have Wine 11.6 available now or very soon. Alternatively, head to the Wine downloads page to get the latest binaries.
Zooming out
Why it matters: Wine is crucial for the continued development of the Proton compatibility layer by Valve, which has played a huge role in bringing Linux desktop to the mainstream in recent years.
Lingering questions
- Will the driver revival survive the inevitable trials of Android's constantly-evolving ecosystem of APIs and updates?
- If so, how soon will running full Android apps on your Linux desktop be viable with Wine alone?
My take: I use Wine in some form almost everyday, so I like seeing continued development. I'd also really appreciate running certain Android apps on my desktop instead of my phone from a privacy point of view.
