Launch modes
Which launch mode fits your GPU and setup, what each one feels like in practice, and how to check what your stream is using. Choose where games run →
Documentation
Polaris turns a Linux gaming PC into a private streaming home. Nova brings the games to Android TVs, handhelds, tablets, phones, and Steam Deck. Install the host, pair a client, tune the stream.
Install Polaris
Section titled “Install Polaris”Fedora 44 and Arch Linux are the Recommended package paths; CachyOS and other pacman-compatible derivatives use the Arch package. SteamOS, Bazzite, and Ubuntu are Experimental: the packages ship but need broader real-hardware coverage. openSUSE and everything else are Source-build. What’s supported has the full table, including GPUs and clients.
Fedora 44Recommended. Official RPM and the most validated release path.
Arch Linux / CachyOSRecommended on Arch Linux. CachyOS and other pacman-compatible derivatives use the same package.
SteamOS 3.8Dedicated package, proven on a Steam Deck OLED in Desktop Mode and in Game Mode. The Deck LCD, suspend and SteamOS updates are not yet certified.
BazziteExperimental. Layer the Fedora 44 RPM with rpm-ostree; Desktop Mode is validated on NVIDIA, Game Mode needs more coverage.
Ubuntu 24.04Experimental. Tester DEB, more prone to breaking than the package paths above.
openSUSE TumbleweedSource-build. Dedicated dependency and build guide; no published package yet.
Build from sourceCMake build, dependencies, and packaging for everything else.
Repositories and upgradesAdd the dnf or pacman repository so upgrades ride the host's normal update.
Play and tune
Section titled “Play and tune”Library and artwork
Keep Steam and Heroic imports, built-in utility entries, manual artwork, and Nova shortcuts attached to the right game identity. Read the library guide →
Configuration
Web-UI-first configuration, the config file for scripted setups, and recovery when the UI is unreachable. Read the configuration guide →
Runtime and streaming model
Why Headless Stream is the default, how capture and encode paths are chosen, and what the session lifecycle looks like. Read the runtime guide →
Spaces
Section titled “Spaces”Set up Spaces
Give each player their own Steam sign-in, games, and saves on one host, in an isolated container per Space. Docker setup, security policy, the first Steam home, and device access. Set up Spaces →
Spaces in Nova
Open the Space assigned to your device, switch between permitted Spaces, set its stream settings, and know what Leave Space does to a running game. Play in a Space →
Fix a problem
Section titled “Fix a problem”DoctorKeep the stream open and let Doctor measure it: Network, Host, and Client verdicts, Recheck, Auto Fix, and rollback.
TroubleshootingLog markers, the headless fallback matrix, and the fastest recovery steps for the common failure modes.
FAQHardware requirements, client compatibility, coexisting with other GameStream hosts, HDR, and the optional AI features.
What's supportedIs my distro, GPU, or client expected to work? Status words and the honest limits.
Nova client
Section titled “Nova client”Nova is the controller-first client for Android TVs, handhelds, tablets, and phones, with a native Steam Deck client in Alpha. It works with compatible hosts for normal streaming and does more when the host is Polaris: launch modes, session ownership, tuning, and Doctor evidence come from the host instead of being guessed. It is not on the Play Store; the install paths are GitHub Releases, Obtainium, and GitHub Store. Polaris also streams to Moonlight on macOS, Windows, iOS, Linux, and other supported platforms; pairing, client settings, and per-client stream policy live in the Polaris web console.
Nova overviewWhat Nova is, what Polaris adds to it, launch modes in plain English, and controller shortcuts.
Nova quick startPick the right APK, add and pair a host, and take a first stream.
Play SetupWhere the game runs, independent resolution and frame rate, and deterministic presets.
Nova compatibilityDevices, hosts, controllers, release assets, and the current limits.
Roadmap and releases
Section titled “Roadmap and releases”Public roadmap
What Polaris and Nova are improving now, what comes next, and which ambitious goals remain evidence-gated research. Read the public roadmap →
Latest releases
Polaris v1.4.12 and Nova v1.4.12 ship as a matched pair.
Under the hood
Section titled “Under the hood”Curious how it fits together, or building on it? The runtime and streaming model explains the private compositor and how a capture path is chosen, the stream-path plugin contract is the developer contract for adding one, the log-tail API exposes bounded diagnostics over HTTP, and Build from source covers the CMake build.