Nova updates and beta releases

Stable and beta updates are separate choices. A Polaris host’s beta preference does not switch Nova to a beta, and a Nova beta does not update Polaris.

1.4.14-beta.1 is an opt-in prerelease. It displays Nova Beta and 1.4.14-beta.1; older published betas may still say Nova Pre.

Android: install a beta

Open Nova releases and choose a published release marked Pre-release. The Latest link follows stable releases and does not opt you into betas.

Read that beta’s requirements, then download its APK for your device:

Device	Beta APK
Most current phones, handhelds and ARM64 Android TV	`Nova-Beta-Android-arm64-v8a.apk`
32-bit ARM Android devices	`Nova-Beta-Android-armeabi-v7a.apk`
Android x86_64 devices and emulators	`Nova-Beta-Android-x86_64.apk`

Install the APK and open Nova Beta. Older beta releases may still say Nova Pre. This is the beta app. It uses application ID com.papi.nova.pre and installs beside stable Nova (com.papi.nova). Pair your host in the beta app; the two apps keep separate settings and pairing data.

Known beta.3 limitation: the PyroWave library in v1.4.13-beta.3 is aligned for 4 KB memory pages. On an Android device with 16 KB pages that refuses that library, PyroWave still shows up as a choice and the stream fails when it starts. The other codecs do not use that library. Stable Nova does not enable PyroWave, so to test it on such a device, use a later beta whose release notes confirm the fix.

Older prereleases may use Nova-Android-… filenames. Follow the assets and notes of the prerelease you selected; do not point the stable updater at an older beta asset just because its filename looks the same. Public APKs have SHA-256 sidecars on their release page.

Android: follow betas with Obtainium

Keep your existing stable Nova entry. Add Nova Beta as a separate app:

Use https://github.com/papi-ux/nova as the source and enable Include prereleases for this entry.
Set the APK filename filter for your architecture, for example Nova-Beta-Android-arm64-v8a\.apk$ for ARM64. Use the beta app ID com.papi.nova.pre if you need to identify the installed app.
Check that Obtainium offers Nova Beta, then install or update it. Keep stable Nova’s filename filter and prerelease setting unchanged.

The changelog’s beta section also provides an ARM64 Add Nova Beta to Obtainium link with those settings. If an older beta used different asset names, update that beta entry’s filename filter before following newer builds.

Android: update a beta or return to stable

Install the next signed beta APK for the same architecture over the installed beta app, or update its separate Obtainium entry. Pairing and preferences remain with that beta app. Check the full version, including beta.N or rc.N, after updating. If Android refuses the package, check the release notes, architecture and signature; do not uninstall or clear app data as a routine update step.

To return to stable, open the stable Nova app and disable or remove the beta entry from Obtainium. Stable and beta app data do not transfer automatically. Uninstalling the beta app is optional and removes its own local data. Disabling prereleases in Obtainium does not convert the installed beta into stable Nova.

Nova Linux: choose an update channel

Nova Linux runs on Linux desktops, laptops and handhelds, including Steam Deck. It uses Flatpak rather than Android APKs. The Linux app ID remains com.papi_ux.Nova.

Channel installations: when a signed channel installer is published, choose the stable or beta installer named in the release. Open Settings → Nova → Nova Updates to check or install an update on that installed channel. Automatic installation is optional and waits until Nova is idle. Reopen Nova when it says the update is ready. Selecting a channel is explicit; the app does not switch channels automatically.

Downloaded bundles: an ordinary .flatpak bundle may have no update feed. Download the bundle from the intended release, verify its checksum, and install that newer bundle with the software manager or flatpak install --user. Current bundles are named Nova-Linux-x86_64-alpha.flatpak; older releases used Nova-Deck-x86_64-alpha.flatpak. Use the filename attached to your release.

Existing bundle installations need a one-time channel installation before they can use an in-app feed. Follow the Linux update and migration guide only after the selected channel’s installer is published. The updater code and publication workflow being present do not make a public feed available.

To change back to stable, use the published stable channel installer and launch that channel explicitly. Switching channels does not mean an older build is a safe downgrade; follow its release notes. Preserve pairing and preferences by keeping the app data, and never use --delete-data as an update step.

For installation and Steam shortcuts, see the Nova Linux install guide.

Linux beta.1 migration: 1.4.14-beta.1 includes PyroWave in the standard Linux bundle and retires the separate PyroWave bundle. Keep the same app ID, installation and app data. The published 1.4.13 separate bundle remains a historical stable-release option; it does not imply a new public channel feed. New codec controls and limits.

Test PyroWave

PyroWave needs a compatible client decoder as well as a host encoder. Standard Moonlight clients cannot use it, and Polaris has no frontend switch that adds the decoder to those clients.

Nova Android beta: in v1.4.13-beta.3, the beta app named Nova Pre, select Settings → Client Stream Defaults → Change codec settings → PyroWave (experimental) with a compatible Polaris host. That beta has no codec row in Play Setup. Auto does not select this codec, and stable Android builds do not enable it.
Nova Linux: Nova 1.4.13 attaches a separate experimental bundle, Nova-Linux-PyroWave-x86_64-alpha.flatpak, and its checksum beside the standard Nova-Linux-x86_64-alpha.flatpak. Install that bundle to test PyroWave. The standard bundle does not contain the decoder, and v1.4.13-beta.3 attached no PyroWave bundle; a beta tag alone does not enable the codec. The PyroWave bundle replaces the standard Linux app under the same app ID and has no automatic stable or beta feed. To go back, reinstall Nova-Linux-x86_64-alpha.flatpak from the same release; your app data stays.

In an enabled Nova Linux build, open a game’s Play Setup → Video Codec → PyroWave · Experimental. The host and the Linux device’s Vulkan decoder must both support it. Use the normal Desktop destination; PyroWave is unavailable in Spaces. Auto does not select PyroWave.

The Polaris 1.4.13 Linux packages include the host encoder, selected by the client’s request. For the first Linux test, use the supported SDR 4:2:0 profile on a fast wired local connection and confirm PyroWave in stream diagnostics. Decoder startup checks alone do not prove a streamed image, audio, input, HDR, or sustained frame rate. The Polaris PyroWave guide describes host and client requirements.

Install or leave the Linux PyroWave bundle

When the selected release attaches the experimental bundle, download it and its checksum from that same release. Close Nova, then run these commands in the download directory:

sha256sum -c Nova-Linux-PyroWave-x86_64-alpha.flatpak.sha256
flatpak install --user ./Nova-Linux-PyroWave-x86_64-alpha.flatpak
flatpak run com.papi_ux.Nova --standalone

This replaces the standard Linux app under the same app ID, keeping pairing and preferences. It does not install beside it and has no automatic stable/beta feed. Select PyroWave explicitly in Play Setup as described above.

To return, close Nova and download the standard bundle and checksum from the same release, then verify and reinstall it:

sha256sum -c Nova-Linux-x86_64-alpha.flatpak.sha256
flatpak install --user ./Nova-Linux-x86_64-alpha.flatpak

Keep app data; do not use --delete-data. Follow the release notes before installing an older version.