Shortcuts vs. container settings
Every container has a set of default settings (graphics driver, DX wrapper, screen size, etc.). A shortcut can inherit all of those defaults or override any subset of them on a per-game basis. This means you can:- Run two games from the same container, each with a different graphics driver
- Assign a game-specific on-screen controls profile per game
- Force a different screen resolution for a single title without changing the container
- Set extra command-line arguments for one game only
Shortcut structure
A shortcut is stored as a.desktop file inside the container’s shortcut directory. It follows the XDG Desktop Entry format with an additional [Extra Data] section for Winlator-specific overrides:
Field (.desktop key) | Description |
|---|---|
| Filename stem | The display name shown on the home screen — derived from the .desktop filename (without extension) via FileUtils.getBasename() |
Exec | The Wine command line; the .exe path is extracted from the last wine argument in this line |
Icon | Base name of the icon file (looked up in the container’s icons directories at 16, 32, 48, and 64 px) |
StartupWMClass | X11 window class hint used for window management |
[Extra Data]:
| Extra Data key | Description |
|---|---|
execArgs | Additional command-line arguments appended to the Wine invocation |
screenSize | Override the container’s screen resolution (e.g. 1280x720) |
graphicsDriver | Override the graphics driver (e.g. virgl, turnip) |
dxwrapper | Override the DirectX wrapper (e.g. dxvk, wined3d) |
dxwrapperConfig | Override the DX wrapper configuration string |
audioDriver | Override the audio driver |
forceFullscreen | Set to 1 to enable Force Fullscreen mode |
box86Preset | Override the Box86 compatibility preset |
box64Preset | Override the Box64 compatibility preset |
wincomponents | Override the enabled Wine components |
envVars | Additional environment variables specific to this shortcut |
controlsProfile | ID of the on-screen controls profile to load for this game |
dinputMapperType | DirectInput mapper type (XInput or legacy) |
Creating a shortcut
Open a container
From the Winlator home screen, tap a container to open it, or create a new one if you have not set one up yet.
Browse to the executable
Use the built-in file manager inside the container to navigate to the Windows application’s
.exe file (typically inside drive_c/).Create the shortcut
Long-press the
.exe file, or tap the context menu icon, and select Create Shortcut. Winlator generates a .desktop file and adds the shortcut to your home screen.Open shortcut settings
On the Winlator home screen, tap the menu icon (⋮) next to the shortcut and select Settings to open the
ShortcutSettingsDialog.Configure per-game overrides
Adjust any settings you want to override for this specific game (see the section below). Leave settings unchanged to inherit the container’s defaults.
Shortcut-specific settings
The ShortcutSettingsDialog exposes the following overridable settings:General
General
Name — rename the shortcut. The underlying
.desktop file is renamed to match.Extra arguments — additional arguments passed to Wine when launching this executable. Use the quick-insert menu (the arrow button) to add common flags.Graphics
Graphics
Graphics driver — select a renderer (e.g. Turnip/Adreno Vulkan, VirGL, Software). Overrides the container default for this game only.DX wrapper — choose how DirectX calls are translated (DXVK, WineD3D, CNC DDraw, etc.). Each wrapper has its own configuration button.Screen size — set a custom resolution for this game. Useful for older titles that run poorly at the container’s default resolution.Force Fullscreen — forces the game window to fill the entire display surface regardless of the resolution it requests.
Audio
Audio
Audio driver — override the audio backend (PulseAudio, ALSA, etc.) for this shortcut.
Compatibility
Compatibility
Box86 preset — select a Box86 compatibility profile tuned for this 32-bit game’s requirements.Box64 preset — select a Box64 compatibility profile tuned for this 64-bit game’s requirements.DirectInput mapper type — switch between XInput mapping (default, works with most modern games) and legacy DirectInput mapping for older titles.
Win Components
Win Components
Override which Wine components (DirectX DLLs, runtime libraries) are enabled for this game without affecting the container’s component list.
Environment variables
Environment variables
Add or remove environment variables that are set only when this shortcut is launched. Container-level variables remain active unless overridden here.
Controls profile
Controls profile
Controls profile — assign an on-screen input controls profile to this shortcut. The chosen profile’s virtual overlay loads automatically when the game starts.Set to None to launch without any on-screen controls (useful for games where you always use a physical controller).
Managing shortcuts
All shortcuts across all containers are visible in the Shortcuts tab of the Winlator main navigation. From there you can:- Launch a shortcut by tapping its row
- Open settings to edit overrides via the context menu
- Remove a shortcut by selecting Remove from the context menu — this deletes the
.desktopfile and its icon asset
Tips and common patterns
Per-game controls
Assign a custom on-screen profile to each game shortcut. This way the correct button layout appears automatically without you having to switch profiles manually.
Low-resolution games
Enable Force Fullscreen for older games that run at 640×480 or 800×600. The image is upscaled to fill your screen, preventing a small window in the corner.
Troubleshooting a single game
Use the extra arguments field to pass Wine-specific flags (e.g.
-opengl) or game launch options without affecting anything else in the container.Testing multiple wrappers
Duplicate a shortcut and give each copy a different DX wrapper setting. Compare performance and compatibility without changing the container’s default.