+
# Nova
**Game streaming for Android handhelds that understands the host.**
-Nova streams PC games from Polaris or any Moonlight-compatible host, but it is
-built for the parts normal clients barely explain: launch modes, active sessions,
-host tuning, stream health, controller focus, and safe disconnects.
-
-With Polaris, Nova can show what will happen before you launch, what is happening
-while you play, and what is safe to do when you leave.
+Nova is an Android client for Polaris and standard Moonlight-compatible hosts.
+With Polaris it turns a basic app grid into a controller-first Library, explains
+each launch before it happens, and keeps live session controls close while you
+play.
[](https://github.com/papi-ux/nova/stargazers)
[](LICENSE.txt)
[](https://github.com/papi-ux/nova/releases/latest)
-[Why Nova](#why-nova) · [Feature Matrix](#feature-matrix) · [Quick Start](#quick-start) · [Latest Release](#latest-release-v136) · [Install](#install) · [Compatibility](#compatibility) · [Launch Modes](#launch-modes-in-plain-english) · [Tour](#tour) · [Polaris](#use-with-polaris) · [Support](#support-and-bug-reports) · [FAQ](#faq) · [Security](SECURITY.md) · [Changelog](CHANGELOG.md) · [Roadmap](ROADMAP.md)
-
-**Support**: [Issues](https://github.com/papi-ux/nova/issues) · [Discussions](https://github.com/papi-ux/nova/discussions)
-
-- -
-
| 
| 
|
-| Host-backed Library with filters, art, and active-session state | Private Stream or Virtual Display choices with host recommendations | Command Center, NovaHUD, tuning, reconnect, and safe disconnect |
+| Pairs, browses apps, launches, and streams | Adds a host-backed Library with art, sources, and launch health |
+| Starts the host's configured app path | Shows Private Stream and other available display choices before launch |
+| Treats a running session as a generic state | Distinguishes active, resumable, watchable, and owner-aware sessions |
+| Offers basic disconnect or quit actions | Separates safe disconnect from ending the host session |
+| Shows client-side stream statistics | Adds server-backed runtime truth, Doctor, tuning provenance, and NovaHUD |
-## Feature Matrix
+Standard Moonlight-compatible hosts remain useful; Polaris supplies the richer
+metadata and controls.
-| Feature | With Polaris | With other Moonlight-compatible hosts |
-|---|---:|---:|
-| Standard GameStream launch | Yes | Yes |
-| Pairing and app launch | Yes | Yes |
-| Wake-on-LAN | Yes | Yes, when host/network metadata allows it |
-| Polaris Library with metadata, art, source badges, and launch context | Yes | No |
-| Private Stream / Host Virtual Display / Mirror Desktop choice | Yes | No |
-| Watch or resume owner-aware active sessions | Yes | Limited or no |
-| Command Center session truth and host actions | Yes | Partial |
-| NovaHUD host-health truth and high-FPS recovery copy | Yes | Limited |
-| Polaris Sync and tuning provenance | Yes | No |
-| AI Auto Quality surfaced in the client | Yes, when enabled on Polaris | No |
+## Browse, decide, control
-Use Nova with any compatible host for normal streaming. Pair it with Polaris when you want the client to understand what the host is actually about to do.
+### Browse
-## Quick Start
+Stage view puts the selected title into its landscape artwork while keeping the
+row controller-readable. Control Ultimate Edition leads the Aurora showcase;
+the [website gallery](https://papi-ux.com/nova/#themes) compares the same screen
+in Portable Chrome, Console OLED, Miami Nebula, High Contrast, and Material You.
-### First stream
+### Decide
-1. Install Nova from GitHub Releases, Obtainium, or GitHub Store.
-2. Open **Servers** and add or discover a host. Polaris hosts appear automatically on the LAN when discovery is enabled.
-3. Pair with **Trusted Pair** on a trusted Polaris subnet, **QR pairing** from the Polaris web UI, or normal **manual PIN** pairing.
-4. Launch from the standard game grid or the Polaris-powered Library.
-5. During a stream, open Command Center for tuning, overlays, controller actions, and quit/disconnect controls. Guide/Mode + Start/Menu opens Command Center, and Guide/Mode + Y shows or cycles NovaHUD.
+Play Setup describes what will happen for this title: where it runs, the client
+resolution, tuning policy, and Steam launch behavior. A session-scoped choice
+does not silently rewrite the host default.
-### Recommended first setup
+
-| Device | Start here |
-|---|---|
-| Android handheld or phone | `Nova-Android-arm64-v8a.apk` |
-| NVIDIA Shield or ARM64 Android TV | `Nova-Android-arm64-v8a.apk` |
-| Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV Streamer, or 32-bit ARM Android TV | `Nova-Android-armeabi-v7a.apk` |
-| Android x86_64 device or emulator | `Nova-Android-x86_64.apk` |
-
-If a sleeping host does not report a MAC address, open the host menu and choose **Edit Wake-on-LAN MAC**. Nova stores that address and reuses it for future wake requests, which helps VPN and routed setups where discovery metadata is incomplete.
-
-## Latest release: v1.3.6
+### Control
-Nova v1.3.6 makes launch intent and recovery actions explicit. Play Setup now speaks the host's complete launch-mode catalog, per-game overrides stay scoped to one session instead of rewriting the host default, and Doctor can apply, verify, and undo the safest supported correction from Command Center.
+During a stream, Command Center brings session health, Doctor guidance, tuning,
+NovaHUD, input helpers, safe disconnect, and protected end-session actions into
+a controller-first drawer.
-- **Doctor that can finish the job**: evidence-gated one-click actions can recheck a suspected network problem, lower bitrate by one guarded step, restore a history-capped profile gradually, verify the result against live telemetry, and offer Undo.
-- **Every host mode, one vocabulary**: Play Setup and Polaris Sync share the same server-authoritative grouped picker, including unavailable modes and the host's reason. Controller users can reach and select every card.
-- **Session-scoped launch overrides**: an explicit per-game mode travels only on that launch. Games without an override follow the host default, and launching no longer rewrites Polaris' persistent stream mode.
-- **Clearer launch truth**: Nova surfaces one display-mode fallback warning per session, includes launch mode in optimization requests, and marks the host's advisory AI pick without selecting it for you.
-- **Reliability and focus**: idempotent Polaris actions retry once after transient TLS failures; malformed host responses no longer crash launch; cached game detail and cold-start library screens settle and visibly focus the intended controller target.
-- **Honest HUD status**: normal network and decoder risk values stay quiet instead of producing false warning chips.
-- **Benchmark tooling stays isolated**: a separate non-shipping benchmark variant records bounded client decode-stage evidence and supports controlled ADB export without changing normal release behavior.
-- **Compatibility**: preserves minSdk 21, targetSdk 36, existing routing and persistence authorities, Moonlight-compatible hosts, Polaris integration, and signed in-place upgrades.
-- **Release packaging**: signed ARM64, ARMv7, and x86_64 APKs ship with portable SHA-256 sidecars. VersionCode 38 keeps Obtainium and manual installs on a clean upgrade path.
-- **Known issue**: gyro/motion sensors are not detected on some devices (#181). The Thor audio-device inventory remains diagnostic evidence, not a claimed routing fix.
+
-See the [changelog](CHANGELOG.md) for the full release history.
-
-## Install
-
-
- 
- 
-