We are closing out the year with one of our most refined updates yet. Version 0.5.0 transforms GameStacker from a launcher into a cohesive, premium dashboard that feels as good as it looks.
This update focuses on improving the dashboard's "feel" with smoother animations, expanding your media with a Music Player, and unifying your library with Playnite.
✨ Silky Smooth Navigation
We want GameStacker to feel responsive and alive. In this update, we’ve poured a lot of love into the "feel" of the dashboard.
First, we’ve updated the animations. Dialogs now fade and scale in, rather than just appearing instantly. Transitions are also much smoother, with content fading out while the window resizes to fit the next screen. It’s a small touch that makes the interface feel much more polished.
Second, we've upgraded the vertical stacks on your home screen with Circular Scrolling.
Previously, the category list would stop at the top or bottom. Now, the stacks loop seamlessly. If you are at the top, you'll see the bottom items appearing right above, making it obvious that you can keep scrolling up to get to the end of the list instantly. It makes jumping between consoles much faster.
🎵 Set the Stage: Native Music Player
The story behind this feature is a perfect example of why beta feedback matters. A Patron pointed out that downloaded Steam Soundtracks were awkwardly showing up as regular games in their library.
We dug into it and realized we could do better than just hiding them. We found a way to distinguish soundtracks, access the files, and even link them directly to their specific games. Since every great console needs a media center, we decided it was the perfect time to build a fully integrated Music Player.
- Steam Soundtracks: GameStacker now automatically detects your downloaded Steam Soundtracks and organizes them as albums.
- Local Library: Have your own collection? GameStacker now automatically scans and imports songs from your user Music folder.
- Play Directly: We’ve added a dedicated "Play Soundtrack" button right on the game details page, so you can start listening instantly.
- Volume Control: A new volume slider gives you precise control over the levels, letting you balance your tunes with your game audio.
Built for the Future We engineered the player from the ground up to be modular. While we are starting with Steam and local files, the system is designed to easily accept other sources in future updates.
🎨 Visual Customization
In v0.4.0 we gave you colors; in v0.5.0, we're giving you the whole scene.
- Custom Wallpapers: You can now drop your own images into the
assets/wallpapersfolder to completely transform your environment. We've bundled 3 new wallpapers with this release to get you started, and two of them might feel incredibly familiar to veteran gamers. - Game Art as Wallpaper: See a screenshot or piece of concept art you love? There is a new button in the image viewer that lets you instantly set any game image as your global dashboard background.
- Hide Games: Bought a game you regret or just want to declutter? You can now Hide specific games from the details page. They can be restored anytime via the settings dialog.
- Profile Pictures: Want to use your own avatar? You can now select any image from your
assets/profilepicsfolder as your profile icon.
🧩 Playnite Joins the Party
GameStacker is designed to be the home for all your games, and today we are taking a massive step forward. We are thrilled to announce Playnite integration!
If you use Playnite to manage your massive library, GameStacker will now auto-detect and import those titles. This includes full support for launching and closing Windows/Xbox Store Games managed by Playnite.
🛠️ Fixes & Improvements
We've squashed some annoying bugs and restored key features to ensure your navigation is rock solid:
- Quick Launch Restored: You can now launch games from the profile view again by pressing Y on any game in your history.
- Fixed Selection Glitch: Pressing 'Down' on the last item no longer causes the selection cursor to disappear.
- Ghost Inputs: We fixed a logic error where the 'B' button could accidentally close two menus at once.
🙏 A Huge Thank You to Our Patrons
GameStacker's development is driven by our community, and we literally couldn't do this without the support of our Patrons. Your feedback and backing are what turn these ideas into reality. Thank you for being a part of this journey!
With music now filling the air and a fresh visual style, GameStacker feels more alive than ever. We're excited for you to try it!