Truly native
The game's code is translated ahead of time into a native Apple Silicon program. Not emulated, not wrapped.
Windows version coming later
Chinatown Wars, native on your Mac.
Runs on Apple Silicon with no emulator and no wrapper. Bring your own copy of the game.
Download for Mac
How it worksLoading version…
CTW Desktop is an unofficial, fan-made project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Grand Theft Auto and Chinatown Wars are trademarks of their respective owners.
Features
Built for the Mac.
Bring your own game
Nothing copyrighted is bundled. Pick your APK and the app sets itself up.
Real game speed
Original 30 fps logic rate with exact frame pacing, plus optional 2x and 4x speed-up modes for slow sections.
Fullscreen by default
Resolution options based on your display (F10). Cmd+F or F11 to toggle.
Keyboard & mouse that make sense
WASD to move, E for vehicles, mouse for stylus mini-games. On-screen touch buttons hide automatically.
Controller support
Xbox, PlayStation and other standard controllers work automatically.
Movies, music & sound
The intro movie plays natively with sound. Music and effects work.
Saves stay local
Saves and settings live in your Library folder.
Quit & update built in
A Quit Game button on the pause screen, plus a built-in update check.
No game files are included or distributed. No analytics, no personal data — the only network request is the update check.
How it works
Three steps. That's it.
- 1
Install
Download and open the .dmg, then drag CTW Desktop to Applications.
- 2
Choose your APK
Launch it and pick your game's APK when asked. It's checked and extracted on your Mac.
- 3
Play
That's it. Grab a controller or use keyboard and mouse.
Tip: an Android APK can be exported from your own device or purchase.
Controls
| Action | Input |
|---|---|
| Move | W A S D — W also runs on foot and accelerates in a car; S walks backwards or reverses / brakes |
| Punch / attack | Left mouse button or K |
| Flying kick | Right mouse button or F |
| Jump / roll | Space or U (also reverses in a car) |
| Get in / out of vehicle | E or I (hold for taxi) |
| Confirm / accelerate (menus) | Enter or J |
| Centre camera | Q or Z |
| Right trigger action | X |
| Weapon switching & menus | Arrow keys |
| Shoulder button R | R |
| Back | Tab |
| Pause / PDA | Esc |
| Stylus mini-games & menus | Mouse |
| Quit Game (menu screens) | Click it, or press Q |
| Cycle game speed | F9 (normal, 2x, 4x, max) |
| Cycle render resolution | F10 |
| Toggle fullscreen | F11 or Cmd+F |
| Quit | Cmd+Q |
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Download
Get CTW Desktop.
Loading latest release…
Requires an Apple Silicon Mac. Game files not included.
Verify the download: run shasum -a 256 CTW-Desktop-*.dmg in Terminal and compare with the checksum published here.