Version 0.6.0 is a milestone release for GameStacker. With Linux now officially supported, we’ve also taken the opportunity to rethink and reinforce some of the app’s core systems.
Most of the work in this update happened behind the scenes. While you’ll notice early UI changes, the main focus was improving consistency, stability, and long-term maintainability across platforms.
This release touches many core systems. We’ve tested it extensively and feel comfortable shipping it, but there may still be edge cases we haven’t encountered yet. If you run into any issues, please report them on Patreon or send us a DM there. Your feedback helps us tighten things up quickly.
🐧 Linux Is Here
Linux support is officially here, and it’s a huge milestone for GameStacker.
This initial Linux release:
- Supports x64 systems
- Supports games installed through Steam and Lutris
- Is distributed as an AppImage, so there’s no need to manage or install dependencies
- Behaves as close as possible to the Windows version, thanks to major changes under the hood
We’re especially excited to ship this because it opens the door to setups like HTPCs, handheld PCs, and SteamOS-style environments.
Known limitations (for now):
- On SteamOS, and possibly some other distros, the in-game Guide is triggered correctly but does not appear in front of the game window
- Games added to Steam via Steam ROM Manager are not supported yet. We're aware that this is a very common SteamOS workflow and will work on it next
🎨 UI Refresh (Ongoing Work)
We’ve started reworking the UI with a new design language. This is an ongoing process, and you’ll notice that not everything follows the new rules yet.
So far, this includes:
- Rounded corners across the interface
- Better use of screen space through updated margins and layout
- Reworked transition animations
- A new status bar with a clock and battery indicator (more indicators coming later)
Expect this to continue evolving in future updates.
🧱 Major Internal Changes
This release includes massive changes under the hood, and you’ll likely notice that the download size is significantly larger than before.
To ensure that Windows and Linux behave as similarly as possible, we now bundle more of what GameStacker needs instead of relying on system-installed components. While the archive is bigger, memory usage should remain roughly the same. It’s still a bit higher than we’d like, but that’s something we’ll continue to improve as far as the technology allows.
The upside is a much more predictable and consistent experience across platforms.
🐢 Better Behavior on Low-Powered Devices
We’ve also made changes aimed at improving how GameStacker runs on lower-powered hardware.
That said, we want to be upfront. The technology stack we use allows us to iterate quickly, build rich animations, and share most of the code between Windows and Linux. That’s critical for a small team, but it does come with trade-offs compared to fully native applications, especially around performance and memory usage.
We’re improving things, but this is an ongoing effort. This is the main reason why we're not releasing ARM (Raspberry Pi) builds yet.
⚠️ Breaking Change: New Data Location
This update introduces a breaking change in where GameStacker stores its data.
The following directories have been moved:
- Wallpapers
- Gamer pictures
- Startup videos
- Internal database
They now live in your home directory, typically: C:\Users\[Your User Name]\GameStacker on Windows, and /home/[Your User Name]/GameStacker on Linux.
If you’re upgrading from a previous version, you’ll need to manually move your existing folders from the old GameStacker directory into the new location.
🛠️ Critical Fixes
This release includes several fixes aimed at improving reliability:
- Improved Steam game detection: Some games, especially titles that launch through other clients (such as the EA App) when started from Steam, were not being detected as running. We’ve updated how GameStacker detects running games, which should significantly reduce how often this happens. Keep in mind that GameStacker waits about 30 seconds for a game process to appear. If the game doesn’t start within that window (for example, because it’s updating), GameStacker will assume it won’t launch and return you to the UI.
- Locale-related startup crash: Certain system locale configurations could cause the app to silently crash and get stuck in a loading loop. This is now fixed. (Fun fact: GameStacker uses your system language and timezone to show region-specific system names, like Sega Mega Drive instead of Sega Genesis.)
- Large music libraries hanging on load: Libraries with a large number of songs and/or games could get stuck loading indefinitely. This has been resolved.
💬 Addressing Common Questions & Feedback
We’ve seen a few recurring questions and wanted to address them in one place.
Virus Detections on Windows
Some users may see Windows Defender flag the GameStacker executable as a virus.
Unfortunately, this is a fairly common issue with Go binaries, which is the language used for the backend portion of GameStacker. The Go team documents this behavior here: https://go.dev/doc/faq#virus
We’re manually submitting this version for analysis, and it should theoretically not be an issue for this particular version. That said, if you still encounter this warning, you’ll need to add an exception for GameStacker in Windows Defender to run it.
Playnite Game Detection Issues
We’re aware of a detection issue similar to the Steam one, but affecting the Playnite integration.
We’ve been able to reliably reproduce it, but haven’t found a solid solution yet. This is still under investigation, and we’ll update you as soon as we have progress.
Adding Games Manually
At the moment, GameStacker does not support adding games manually.
GameStacker was built with the assumption that users are already managing their libraries elsewhere, and that it acts as a unified frontend rather than a library manager itself. If you’re just getting started and don’t have your games organized yet, you can use any free tool that GameStacker integrates with, such as RetroBat or LaunchBox, to manage your library.
We understand that having to download and configure a separate application can feel confusing or not very user-friendly. Adding a built-in library manager is something we may explore in the future. However, given the number of excellent tools already available and our limited resources, we decided to prioritize other areas for now.
Once your library is set up, GameStacker will automatically keep everything in sync.
🙏 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!
v0.6.0 is a foundational release and a big step forward, especially with Linux now in the mix. Because so much changed internally, we really appreciate your patience while we smooth out any remaining rough edges.
Please keep reporting bugs on the Patreon page or send us a DM there. Every report helps us make GameStacker better.
More polish, fixes, and features are coming next.