Wine 11.3 Released with Mono 11 and VKD3D 1.19 Upgrade

The Wine Project has released Wine 11.3, marking the third maintenance update to the stable 11.x series. This update brings several improvements, bug fixes, and optimizations to enhance compatibility for running Windows applications on Linux and macOS. Here are the key highlights of this release:

Key Updates:

• Mono Engine 11.0: The integrated Mono engine has been updated to version 11.0, providing better support for .NET-based applications, which is crucial for modern Windows software.
• vkd3d 1.19: The bundled vkd3d library is now at version 1.19, improving Direct3D 12 translation over Vulkan, which benefits games and applications that rely on newer Direct3D APIs.

Audio Improvements:

• The DirectSound implementation has been enhanced with a more accurate FIR filter, improving sound quality and playback in legacy Windows audio applications.

Performance Optimizations:

• PDB Loading: Optimizations in loading PDB files reduce overhead when debugging or running applications that require symbol data, improving performance in development and debugging environments.

User Interface Changes:

• The Light theme has been renamed to Aero to align with Windows conventions, ensuring a smoother experience for users familiar with the Windows environment.

Compatibility Fixes:

• Guild Wars 2 no longer crashes on Winewayland with certain DXVK builds.
• The War Thunder Launcher now renders correctly.
• Flight Simulator 2000 sees improved performance and less flickering in windowed mode.
• Adobe Audition 2020 startup crashes related to Direct2D have been resolved.
• Launch issues with QuarkXPress 2024 have been fixed.
• Several utilities like Sysinternals TCPView, Rainmeter, and Amazon Chime installers now work properly.

Bug Fixes and Regression Resolutions:

• Fixed race conditions affecting process exit codes.
• Improved Windows 11 compatibility with fusion components.
• Enhanced parameter validation in printf-related functions.
• Corrected graphics handling regressions that appeared after Wine 11.1.
• Addressed geometry handling issues in Direct2D.

Conclusion:

Wine 11.3 brings valuable updates, particularly for users running modern Windows games and software, with enhanced Direct3D and Mono support, as well as many important bug fixes. The update ensures better compatibility and performance for a wide range of applications.

For more details, visit the official announcement. Those interested in upgrading or trying the latest version can download the source code from GitLab. Binary packages for various distributions will be available soon.