Winlator uses different GPU “drivers” (render backends) for graphics, and choosing the right one can make the difference between a slideshow and smooth gameplay.
This guide focuses on what actually works for users in 2025, especially on Snapdragon (Adreno) and Mali devices, and links to the main driver packs and resources.
Overview: Drivers Winlator Uses
Winlator doesn’t install phone‑level GPU drivers. It uses its own graphics stacks inside the Linux/Wine environment:
- Turnip + Zink (T+Z) – Mesa Vulkan driver for Adreno GPUs, usually fastest for Snapdragon.
- VirGL – Universal Mesa renderer, works on MediaTek/Exynos/Mali, but mostly good for DX9‑era games and lower performance.
- LLVMpipe – CPU software renderer; only for testing or very simple apps (very slow).
Modern Winlator builds and mods (Frost, GlibC, Mali variants) expose these in “Graphics driver” or “Renderer” options per container.
Best Drivers for Snapdragon / Adreno (Turnip + Zink)
For Snapdragon phones with Adreno GPUs, Turnip is the best choice in almost every user test.
Why Turnip is recommended:
- Built from the open‑source Mesa stack, optimized for Adreno.
- Consistently higher FPS vs VirGL in 3D games (DXVK/VKD3D).
- Fewer glitches in modern titles when paired with updated Winlator builds.
Typical recommendation:
- In container settings, choose Turnip or Turnip + Zink (T+Z) as the graphics driver on Snapdragon devices.
Turnip Driver Packs (Custom Builds)
For some Winlator mods (especially GlibC 7.1.x and above), users install external Turnip driver packs for better performance.
The most popular repo is:
Highlights:
- Contains pre‑built Mesa Turnip drivers (e.g., v25.0.0, v25.1.0) packaged as
.wcpfor Winlator’s Content manager. - Recommended for Winlator GlibC 7.1.2+ and compatible mods.
Note: The repo is marked DISCONTINUED and archived in 2025, but releases remain available. Users report that newer is not always best; if a specific game regresses on the newest driver, rolling back to an earlier Turnip build sometimes helps.
Best Drivers for Mali / MediaTek / Exynos (VirGL First)
Mali GPUs lack third‑party Mesa drivers like Turnip, and stock Vulkan implementations are often weaker. For Winlator:
- VirGL is the primary choice for 3D gaming on Mali.
- LLVMpipe is only a fallback for certain 64‑bit titles or broken VirGL paths.
Community experiences show:
- Winlator 10.1 significantly improved VirGL performance on Mali G57 and similar GPUs, raising some games from 4 FPS to ~20–25 FPS in DX9 titles like NFS Most Wanted 2005.
- Even so, expectations must be modest: VirGL is practical for older 3D games, not heavy modern DX11/12.
Recommended for Mali / non‑Adreno:
- In container settings, choose VirGL as the graphics driver for 32‑bit DX9 games.
- For stubborn 64‑bit games that refuse to render, LLVMpipe can be used, but performance will be very low.
There is no equivalent centralized “VirGL driver pack” for Mali like Turnip on Adreno; improvements arrive with Winlator updates themselves or Mali‑tuned builds such as Winlator Mali or Bionic/Vortek variants.
What About LLVMpipe?
LLVMpipe is a software renderer that runs entirely on the CPU:
- Pros:
- Can render some games that completely fail on VirGL/Mali Vulkan.
- Useful for non‑3D or older 2D titles, or debugging.
- Cons:
Use only when VirGL fails and you accept low performance or need to run a very old 2D/DirectDraw game.
How to Install Custom Turnip Drivers in Winlator
For GlibC 7.1.2+ builds that support content packs:
- Download a Turnip
.wcpdriver pack- From: https://github.com/K11MCH1/WinlatorTurnipDrivers/releases
- Example assets:
turnip-25.1.0-R2.wcp.
- Place the file on your device
- Any folder is fine (e.g., Downloads).
- Install via Winlator Content Manager
- Select the driver in the container
- Edit your game’s container → Graphics driver → choose the new Turnip build.
If your Winlator build doesn’t support .wcp content, manual installation (copying libvulkan_freedreno.so into the internal driver path) is possible, but requires following the developer’s instructions exactly.
Quick Recommendation Matrix
Safe Download Links Summary
- Official Winlator – includes built‑in Turnip/VirGL/LLVMpipe choices:
- GitHub: https://github.com/brunodev85/winlator
- Website: https://winlator.org (Official) or https://winlator.dev (A safe alternative)
- Custom Turnip drivers (Adreno only) – for compatible Winlator builds:
- Winlator Turnip drivers (archived): https://github.com/K11MCH1/WinlatorTurnipDrivers
- Releases: https://github.com/K11MCH1/WinlatorTurnipDrivers/releases
For Mali or non‑Adreno users, there is no separate external driver pack; focus instead on newer Winlator versions (10.x+), Mali‑specific builds (like Winlator Mali/Bionic), and using VirGL as the driver.
In practice: