Assassin's Creed Rogue
It’s no longer just a dream to be able to play full-fledged PC games on a device that fits in your pocket. Thanks to the amazing progress in mobile hardware and the creativity of developers in the emulation scene, this dream is now a real thing, even if it’s not easy to do. Winlator is an Android app that uses Wine and Box86/Box64 to run Windows (x86_64) apps on ARM devices. It is one of the most powerful tools leading this charge.
But the question is never just “will it run?” but “how well does it work?” Today, we’re going to look at a rare and often-overlooked gem from Ubisoft’s popular series: Assassin’s Creed Rogue. Can you really experience this story about a Templar’s conviction on Android through Winlator, with its huge naval battles and icy North Atlantic landscapes? Let’s put up the mainsail, brave the cold, and see what happens.
From Hunter to Hunted: What is Assassin’s Creed Rogue?
Assassin’s Creed Rogue, which came out in 2014, is an important story link between Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed III. It changes the main conflict of the series by putting players in the shoes of Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin who leaves the Brotherhood and joins the Templar Order after a mission goes wrong.
Rogue refines the beloved naval gameplay of Black Flag, swapping the warm Caribbean for the frigid, iceberg-laden waters of the North Atlantic. Players command the Morrigan, a nimbler ship equipped with new weaponry like puckle guns and burning oil. The game is celebrated for its compelling story, offering a rare and sympathetic look into the Templar ideology, making you hunt the very people you once called brothers. It’s a full-scale PC title, and that’s what makes running it on a phone such an enticing challenge.
The Magic Box: What is Winlator?
Winlator is a compatibility layer that changes Windows API calls and x86 instructions into something that your Android device’s ARM processor can understand. It makes a “container” on your phone that acts like Windows, with its own file system and settings that you can change. This lets you install and run .exe files on your phone just like you would on a computer. It doesn’t work perfectly, and performance can be very different from game to game, but it gives mobile gamers access to a huge library of PC games.
The Million-Dollar Question: Can It Actually Run?
The short answer is a loud “yes,” Assassin’s Creed Rogue can run on Winlator. There are a lot of videos and community posts online that show the game being played on different Android devices.
But the long answer is much more complicated. “Running” and “playable” are not the same thing. To get a steady, enjoyable framerate, you need a lot of powerful hardware, the right settings, and a lot of patience. This isn’t something you can just plug in and use; it’s a project for people who like to tinker.
The Mobile System Requirements
The official PC requirements for Assassin’s Creed Rogue are quite modest by today’s standards. It’s a DirectX 9/11 title from the PS3/Xbox 360 era. But when you factor in the overhead of emulation and instruction translation, those requirements get amplified significantly for a mobile device.
- SoC (Processor): A mid-range Snapdragon processor can attempt to run the game, but for a truly playable experience (aiming for a consistent 30 FPS), a high-end chipset is strongly recommended. Think Snapdragon 870 as a viable entry point, with devices sporting a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8+ Gen 1, or newer yielding the best results.
- GPU: The Adreno GPUs found in Snapdragon chips generally have the best driver support (Turnip drivers) within the Winlator community.
- RAM: While the original game only required 4GB of RAM, you should aim for at least 8GB on your Android device. Your phone’s OS, Winlator itself, and the game all need their share of memory.
- Storage: The game itself requires around 12GB. Ensure you have at least 20-25GB of free internal storage to be safe.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Sail
Are you ready to give it a shot? This is a general guide for how to install and play Assassin’s Creed Rogue on Winlator.
- Get Winlator up and running: Get the most recent stable version of the Winlator APK and the OBB file you need from the official GitHub page or another reliable source. Put the OBB file in the
Android/obbfolder and install the APK.
2. Make a Container: Start Winlator and make a new container. This is how Windows works on your computer. Here are some settings that are good to start with: * Size of the Screen: For better performance, set your phone’s resolution to 800x600 or 960x544. * Graphics Driver: If you have a Snapdragon device, choose the most recent Turnip + Zink driver. This is very important for the performance of Adreno GPUs. * DX Wrapper: Use DXVK 1.10.3 or a newer stable version. This changes DirectX calls into Vulkan calls, which work much better on newer mobile hardware. * Video Memory: Give it a lot of space, like 2GB or 4GB, depending on how much RAM your device has. * CPU Affinity: You can start with the default setting, but later you might want to only choose the high-performance cores on your phone.
3. Install the Game: This is the trickiest part. You need a legitimate copy of the game. * The easiest way is to copy the game files that are already on your PC to the “Download” folder on your phone. Winlator automatically makes this folder the D: drive. * Another option is to install a PC game client like Steam or Ubisoft Connect inside the Winlator container and download the game directly. This method may be slower and more difficult, though.
4. Install Prerequisites: Just like on a PC, the game needs essential runtimes. You may need to install DirectX End-User Runtimes and Visual C++ Redistributables (especially 2012 and 2013 versions) inside the container before the game will launch.
5. Start and Set Up: In Winlator, make a shortcut to the game’s main executable file, “ACC.exe.” Start the game. Don’t worry if it crashes! This is the start of the optimization phase.
Performance Tuning: Finding the Sweet Spot
It’s one thing to get the game to work; it’s another to make it fun. Be ready to spend time making changes.
Settings in the Game Matter: The first place to look for ways to improve performance is in the game itself.
- Resolution: Lower it. Start at 720p (1280x720) or even lower. This will provide the single biggest FPS boost.
- Graphics Quality: Set everything to the lowest possible setting initially (Low or Normal).
- Shadows and Anti-Aliasing: These are performance killers. Turn them off completely.
- V-Sync: Turn this off.
Winlator Container Settings:
- DXVK Versions: Don’t be afraid to experiment. Some games run better on older DXVK versions, while others prefer the latest. Try a few different ones.
- Box86/Box64 Presets: The
Performancepreset can offer a speed boost, but theCompatibilitypreset might be necessary if the game is unstable or won’t launch. - CPU Core Selection: Deselecting one or two of the big performance cores can sometimes help with stuttering by leaving resources for the OS and the emulator itself.
Controls: Playing a game like this with on-screen touch controls is possible via Winlator’s Input Controls editor, but it’s far from ideal. For the best experience, a physical Bluetooth or USB-C controller is practically essential. A Razer Kishi, GameSir, or even a standard Xbox/PlayStation controller will transform the experience from a technical curiosity into a genuinely fun way to play.
The Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Playing Assassin’s Creed Rogue on Winlator shows how far mobile technology has come. With careful tuning, you can get a surprisingly playable 30–40 FPS experience on a high-end flagship phone. It is nothing short of magical to see the aurora borealis reflected in the icy waters of the North Atlantic on a screen in your hands.
However, it is not a perfect experience. You will likely encounter graphical glitches, audio stutters, and occasional crashes. The process requires technical know-how and a willingness to troubleshoot. This is an enthusiast’s project, a feat for the tinkerer who loves to push hardware to its limits.
If you are looking for a simple, stable gaming experience, you are better off with native Android titles. But if you are like us—someone who gets a thrill from seeing the “impossible” run, who enjoys the process of optimization, and who wants to carry a piece of PC gaming history in their pocket—then diving into Assassin’s Creed Rogue on Winlator is an adventure well worth undertaking.
Happy gaming, and may your framerates be high and your temperatures low.