Freedom251 › Windows Compatibility Layers
Scotch

What Scotch is
Scotch is a free, open-source native macOS app for running Windows games and applications on Apple Silicon. It organizes Wine bottles and lets users set locale, launch arguments, and environment variables for individual programs. A setup wizard and integrated Winetricks support bottle configuration; diagnostics include a live process list, log browser, and effective-environment preview. For graphics translation, each bottle can use DXVK, DXMT, D3DMetal, or Zink. GPU identity options include presets for AMD RX 7900 XTX and RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA RTX 4090 and RTX 3080, plus Custom and Off. Finder QuickLook can show thumbnails for .exe files. Its command-line tool supports list, run, add, remove, and shellenv operations. Scotch requires Apple Silicon, Rosetta 2, and macOS 26 Tahoe or later. On first run it downloads Wine and graphics backends, requiring approximately 500 MB. The project is GPL-3.0 licensed and describes itself as a personal project to use at your own risk.
Who it suits
Scotch is for Apple Silicon Mac users who want to manage Wine bottles for Windows games or applications. It is not suited to users on Intel Macs or macOS versions older than 26, or to games using the listed unsupported anti-cheat systems.
What it does well
- Four graphics translation backends are selectable per bottle.
- Per-program settings include locale, arguments, and environment variables.
- Diagnostics show processes, logs, and effective environment.
- Command-line tool supports bottle operations.
- GPL-3.0 licensed and free.
What to know first
- Requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later and Rosetta 2.
- Unsupported on Intel Macs.
- Listed anti-cheat games are unsupported.
- First run requires approximately 500 MB; automatic updates are not wired up.
Limits
The first run downloads Wine and graphics backends and requires about 500 MB of free disk space. Games using Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, Vanguard, or Ricochet are unsupported.
Getting started
- Open the Scotch project website
- Use an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 26 Tahoe or later
- Install Rosetta 2
- Launch Scotch and allow its first-run downloads
- Set up a Wine bottle with the setup wizard
- Choose graphics and per-program settings
- Use Winetricks or the scotch command-line tool as needed
Verdict
Scotch offers detailed bottle controls and several graphics backends for Apple Silicon Macs. Note its operating-system requirements, unsupported anti-cheat games, and ad-hoc signing; macOS may block the first launch.
Questions
What platforms does Scotch support?
Scotch supports macOS on Apple Silicon. Linux and Intel Macs are unsupported.
Is Scotch free?
Yes. Scotch is free, open-source software under the GPL-3.0 license.
Which graphics backends can each bottle use?
Bottles can select DXVK, DXMT, D3DMetal, or Zink.
What does the command-line tool do?
The scotch command supports list, run, add, remove, and shellenv operations.
Is Scotch notarized by Apple?
Its v1.2.2 release is ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized.
Facts from Scotch's own pages
- Bottle management
- Scotch manages Wine bottles and includes per-program settings for locale, arguments, and environment variables. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Bottle tools
- Scotch includes bottle management, a setup wizard, Winetricks integration, and per-program settings for locale, arguments, and environment variables. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- CLI
- The scotch command-line tool supports list, run, add, remove, and shellenv operations. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- Scotch wraps Wine Staging and uses upstream projects including DXVK, DXMT, Apple's D3DMetal, and Mesa Zink for compatibility and graphics translation. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Diagnostics
- The app includes a diagnostics screen with a live process list, log browser, and effective-environment preview. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- GPU spoofing
- Its GPU identity spoofing presets include AMD RX 7900 XTX, RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA RTX 4090, and RTX 3080, along with Custom and Off options. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Graphics backends
- It offers DXVK, DXMT, D3DMetal, and Zink translation backends, selectable per bottle. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Install size
- Scotch downloads Wine and graphics backends on first run, requiring approximately 500 MB. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository identifies Scotch as GPL-3.0 licensed. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Scotch is a native macOS app for running Windows games and applications on Apple Silicon. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- It requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later, Apple Silicon, and Rosetta 2; the README recommends GStreamer.framework and about 500 MB of free disk for the runtime and overlays. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Security and signing
- The v1.2.2 release says Scotch is ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized, and that ad-hoc signing does not provide Apple-verified publisher identity. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Signing
- The v1.2.2 release says the app is ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized, and macOS may block its first launch. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Support status
- The README describes Scotch as a personal project and says to use it at your own risk. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Unsupported games
- Games using Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, Vanguard, or Ricochet are unsupported. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Unsupported games and devices
- The project says anti-cheat games such as Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, Vanguard, and Ricochet, Intel Macs, and macOS versions older than 26 are unsupported. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Updates
- Automatic updates are not wired up. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Utilities
- Features include integrated Winetricks, diagnostics with a live process list and log browser, and Finder QuickLook thumbnails for .exe files. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Where Scotch stands on Freedom251
- Windows Compatibility Layers#25 of 26