Version 0.8.0 continues pushing GameStacker toward a more complete console-like experience for PC gaming.
A big focus of this release is reducing how often you need to leave the GameStacker interface. Adjusting brightness, switching audio devices, or tweaking display settings usually means dropping back to the desktop and grabbing a mouse or keyboard.
With 0.8.0, many of those tasks can now be done directly inside GameStacker using your controller.
⚙️ System Controls Inside GameStacker
One of the original goals of GameStacker was simple: you shouldn't need a keyboard or mouse to manage your system while gaming on the couch.
Most PC gaming frontends still rely heavily on the desktop for system controls. If something is wrong with your audio device, your brightness is off, or a game launches at the wrong resolution, you're usually forced to minimize everything and deal with desktop settings that were never designed for controllers.
GameStacker 0.8.0 changes that.
You can now control several system settings directly from inside GameStacker, without leaving the interface.
Display Settings
Display controls are now available inside the GameStacker UI. You can adjust things like:
- Screen brightness*
- HDR**
- Resolution
- Refresh rate
This makes it much easier to quickly fix display issues, adjust brightness on handheld devices, or tweak refresh rates for different displays.
* Brightness may not work on some Windows devices yet. This will be improved in the next release
** HDR is not available on Linux devices
Audio Settings
Audio controls are also available directly inside GameStacker:
- Adjust output volume
- Switch audio output devices
- Adjust microphone input volume
- Switch microphone input devices
Switching between speakers and headphones, fixing the wrong audio device, or adjusting microphone levels can now all be done without leaving the GameStacker UI.
Quick Menu Integration
Some of these settings are also available directly from the Quick Menu, allowing you to change them even while a game is running.
For couch setups, handheld devices, and TV gaming PCs, this makes the experience feel much closer to using a dedicated console.
📊 Game Details Page Improvements
The Game Details page has been updated to show more useful information at a glance.
New Stats Panel
The previous Achievements panel has been replaced with a Stats panel.
In addition to showing achievement progress, it now includes:
- Total play time
- Last played session
- Achievement progress
This gives you a better overview of your activity with a game without needing to jump between different screens.
Updated Details Panel
The Details panel has also been visually updated. The information shown is the same as before, but the layout now better matches the new Stats panel so both sections feel more consistent and easier to read.
🧭 Dialogs Rework
Several settings dialogs have been redesigned to make navigation faster and simpler.
Previously, many options were hidden behind multiple nested menus. With 0.8.0, most dialogs now show both the main categories and their options at the same time.
This makes it easier to quickly find and change settings without constantly entering and exiting submenus.
🔧 Fixes & Improvements
This release also includes several fixes and improvements across the UI and integrations.
Quick Menu
- Fixed an issue where the Quick Menu would open behind the game window on SteamOS desktop setups and similar environments.
RetroAchievements
- Fixed an issue where achievements from RetroAchievements would sometimes fail to load.
Text Handling
- Long text is now handled more gracefully. Instead of truncating text with "...", GameStacker now automatically scrolls long titles and descriptions so the full content can be read.
High DPI Improvements
- Fixed an issue where game artwork could appear too low resolution on high DPI displays.
Dialog Navigation
- Fixed an issue where navigating back between dialogs, including the Quick Menu, would not restore focus correctly.
This is still partially present in the Games Library and will be improved in future releases.
Steam Integration Improvements
Several improvements were made to the Steam integration:
- Steam soundtrack now displays the correct album art
- Fixed release dates not being imported in some cases
- Fixed preview videos not being imported *
- Game icons are now imported
- Fixed missing cover art for some games
- Prevent non-installed Steam games from appearing in the library
* While GameStacker can now detect available trailers for Steam content, it is currently unable to play them due to internal Steam changes. This will be fixed in a future update.
⚠️ Known Issues
Since GameStacker is still in beta, there are several smaller issues on our radar, including some reported by the community. The ones listed below are the issues most likely introduced in this release and currently being worked on. They will likely be addressed in the upcoming 0.8.1 release.
- Pressing right on the music player controls does not always focus the playlist correctly
- Playlists do not automatically scroll to follow the current song
- GameStacker may occasionally reload when navigating between system settings
- Brightness controls may not work correctly on some Windows devices
- Steam preview videos are currently detected but cannot be played due to recent Steam internal changes
- Some Steam tools (such as Proton or Steamworks Common Redistributables) may appear in the library even though they are not games. Automatic filtering will be improved in future updates. In the meantime, they can be hidden manually if you prefer not to see them
🙏 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!
0.8.0 continues moving GameStacker closer to its goal of being a fully integrated console-style interface for your PC. With system controls, improved game stats, and a streamlined settings experience, everyday interactions should now feel smoother and more powerful.
More improvements are already in progress, and we’ll keep iterating from here.