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Windows Setup

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Bubbleshum edited this page May 22, 2026 · 3 revisions

Windows Setup

Warning

WPR is currently in active alpha development.

Setup steps and requirements may change frequently.

Requirements

Before running WPR on Windows, ensure your system meets the following requirements.

Requirement Notes
Windows 10 / 11 Recommended
.NET 8 Runtime / SDK Required
Vulkan-Compatible GPU Recommended
Updated GPU Drivers Strongly Recommended

Recommended Hardware

WPR is still experimental and performance may vary heavily depending on hardware.

Recommended:

  • modern CPU
  • Vulkan-capable GPU
  • SSD storage

Getting WPR

Currently, WPR does not provide official releases.

You will need to:

  • build WPR from source
  • or use a development build

See:

Running WPR

After building:

  1. Navigate to the build output folder
  2. Launch the WPR executable

Example:

bin/Debug/net8.0/

or:

bin/Release/net8.0/

First Launch

On first launch:

  • WPR may create configuration files
  • shader caches may be generated
  • startup may take longer than expected

This is normal.

Importing Games

To use a game with WPR:

  1. Launch WPR
  2. Import a supported XAP package
  3. Wait for processing/import
  4. Launch the game

Supported Game Types

Current primary focus:

  • Windows Phone XNA titles

Limited / experimental:

  • Silverlight titles

Unsupported:

  • Native WinRT applications

Mouse And Touch Input

Desktop platforms currently support:

  • mouse input
  • touchscreen input
  • limited keyboard input

Keyboard input is currently mainly used for accelerometer emulation.

Graphics Requirements

WPR currently focuses heavily on Vulkan rendering.

Recommended GPUs

Generally recommended:

  • NVIDIA GTX/RTX series
  • AMD RX series
  • newer Intel integrated graphics

Updating GPU Drivers

Outdated drivers may cause:

  • crashes
  • black screens
  • rendering corruption
  • Vulkan failures

Always keep GPU drivers updated.

Common Setup Problems

WPR Does Not Launch

Possible causes:

  • missing .NET runtime
  • unsupported GPU
  • outdated graphics drivers
  • missing dependencies

Black Screen

Possible causes:

  • Vulkan issues
  • unsupported rendering features
  • incomplete game compatibility

Game Crashes Immediately

Try:

  1. Updating to the latest WPR version
  2. Reinstalling the game
  3. Checking the Compatibility List
  4. Testing another title

See:

Performance Is Poor

Performance may vary depending on:

  • GPU driver quality
  • hardware capability
  • game complexity
  • current WPR implementation state

Optimisation is still ongoing.

Multiple Monitors

Some rendering issues may occur on:

  • mixed refresh rate monitors
  • high DPI displays
  • unusual scaling configurations

Antivirus Warnings

Because WPR is an unsigned alpha project:

  • some antivirus software may flag builds
  • SmartScreen warnings may appear

Always build from source or use trusted builds.

Updating WPR

To update:

  1. Pull the latest repository changes
  2. Rebuild the project
  3. Replace old binaries

Example:

git pull
dotnet build

Known Limitations

Current Windows limitations may include:

  • incomplete compatibility
  • graphics issues
  • missing APIs
  • broken audio in some titles
  • limited input support

Reporting Problems

Before opening an issue:

  1. Test the latest version
  2. Reinstall the game
  3. Check existing issues
  4. Verify the game status in the Compatibility List

If the issue still exists:

  • open a GitHub issue
  • include logs if available
  • include screenshots if useful

Useful Pages

Thank You

Thank you for helping test and preserve Windows Phone gaming ❤️

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