GameHQ 0.7.1 - Automatic Updates, HDR and Playnite Integration

GameHQ 0.7.1 is a major update introducing automatic updates, HDR-aware capture, a Windows installer, and Playnite integration.

Highlights

• Automatic updater: GameHQ can check for updates, download them, install them, restart automatically, and safely roll back if an update fails. Production-signed manifests protect update authenticity.
• HDR capture: GameHQ detects HDR displays and uses GPU tone mapping so screenshots and SDR replay videos no longer appear washed out or overexposed.
• Windows installer: GameHQ now includes a standard per-user Setup package while keeping Portable available as an alternative.
• Playnite integration: The new plugin can discover GameHQ, launch it with games, forward game start and stop events, and restore state after reconnects.
• Improved Settings and About: Redesigned settings pages, clearer diagnostics, update controls, offline release notes, and a new What's New view.
• Capture and data safety: Screenshots are saved atomically, rapid captures cannot overwrite each other, portable imports protect existing data, and failed database or configuration recovery now rolls back safely.
• General reliability: Improved long-path support, IPC reconnect handling, update discovery, storage diagnostics, log rotation, and Setup/update conflict prevention.

Verification

• 33 native tests passed.
• 20 Playnite integration tests passed.
• Production update signing, tamper rejection, packaging, privacy, dependency, and licensing checks passed.

Playnite plugin

Download GameHQ_Playnite_Integration_0_4_12.pext from the assets below and open it with Playnite to install GameHQ Integration 0.4.12. The plugin discovers GameHQ, launches it with games, forwards lifecycle events, and restores state after reconnects.

Open-source Beta · Not yet code-signed. Windows may show an Unknown publisher or SmartScreen warning.

GameHQ Playnite Integration 0.4.12

The official GameHQ integration for Playnite.

Highlights:

• Connects Playnite to GameHQ over a private local connection.
• Starts GameHQ automatically when needed.
• Synchronizes game start, stop, and reconnect state.
• Adds connection, version, and path diagnostics.

Install the .pext package manually until the add-on is accepted into Playnite's official database. Future updates will be delivered through Playnite after database approval.

SHA-256: 741c7780ad20d65488f7b7d73bf95deb7b818e2acbff64770b0eb35557fee80e

GameHQ 0.6.3 - Themes & Controller Reliability

GameHQ 0.6.3 is the first public release of the 0.6 line and a substantial update over 0.5.55, focused on controller reliability, overlay polish, capture workflow improvements, and a broader visual system.

Highlights

• Themes: fresh installations now open with Obsidian. The original navy palette is named Blue. The expanded theme system includes 13 skins, live switching, textured backdrops, and adjustable overlay dimming.
• Hidden-controller recovery: GameHQ detects supported Sony controllers that Windows can see but HidHide has hidden from applications. Settings explains the problem and can safely add GameHQ to HidHide's application allow-list with one administrator prompt.
• Better controller navigation: improved three-panel Settings navigation, controller-friendly dropdowns, gallery zoom on L2/R2, bulk selection by holding Cross, and more consistent PlayStation/Xbox/Nintendo labels.
• More reliable overlay: the overlay closes cleanly when Windows focus moves elsewhere, newly saved clips and screenshots refresh immediately, clip playback no longer inherits stale media state, and the centered GameHQ branding now matches the desktop sidebar.
• Capture frames from clips: while a recorded clip is focused, press Share or S to save the exact displayed frame as a normal screenshot attributed to the same game.
• Capture and replay fixes: prevents replay arming on fullscreen system overlays, restores replay recording when a save is requested while the buffer is off, improves audio-clock safety, and includes extensive capture/input/UI maintenance.

See CHANGELOG.md in the repository for the complete version-by-version history from 0.5.56 through 0.6.3.

Quick start

1. Download GameHQ-0.6.3-win64.zip below.
2. Extract the complete archive to a writable folder.
3. Run GameHQ.exe.
4. Tap Share/Capture for a screenshot, hold it for a replay clip, or press PS/Guide to open the overlay.

The package is portable by default: captures, settings, thumbnails, the database, and logs stay inside the extracted folder. The application is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may ask for confirmation; verify that the download came from this Releases page before choosing More info → Run anyway.

Privacy and safety

GameHQ has no account, telemetry, cloud dependency, game-process injection, or background Windows service. Watched folders are scanned read-only. HidHide recovery only extends the existing application allow-list; it does not install, remove, or disable the driver or alter DSX configuration.

Verification

• Full Release-mode application build completed successfully.
• All 3 automated tests passed.
• Clean portable package launched successfully with no QML, warning, or error log entries.
• Archive audit found no captures, clips, databases, logs, secrets, workspace instructions, planning metadata, or private development artifacts.
• HidHide allow-list integration was checked against the upstream driver contract before release.

SHA-256

33C998BA8D52808BBC35182F6A0E0798355120A24C44D429CE2B3FECBD70ABFF  GameHQ-0.6.3-win64.zip

GameHQ 0.5.55 - First Public Release

GameHQ 0.5.55 is the first public release of a controller-first capture experience for Windows.

What you can do

• Take instant PNG or JPEG screenshots, organized automatically by game.
• Keep a configurable rolling H.264 replay buffer and save recent gameplay as MP4 clips with system audio.
• Browse, play, favorite, reveal, and delete captures from the desktop gallery or in-game overlay.
• Use DualSense, XInput, WinMM, keyboard, or safe extra mouse-button controls.
• Rebind actions with primary and secondary slots, tap/hold/double-tap gestures, conflict handling, controller profiles, and restore controls.
• Import existing capture folders from Steam, Xbox Game Bar, NVIDIA, OBS, and other tools without modifying their files.

Quick start

1. Download GameHQ-0.5.55-win64.zip below.
2. Extract the complete folder somewhere writable.
3. Run GameHQ.exe.
4. Tap Share/Capture for a screenshot, hold it for a replay clip, or press PS/Guide to open the overlay.

The package is portable by default: captures, settings, thumbnails, the database, and logs stay inside the extracted folder. Remove portable.flag if you prefer normal Windows profile storage.

Privacy and safety

GameHQ has no account, telemetry, cloud dependency, game-process injection, or background Windows service. Watched folders are scanned read-only. The source is available under the MIT License; bundled Qt, FFmpeg, and MinGW runtime notices and SPDX metadata are included in the download.

Requirements and first-run note

• Windows 10 version 1903 or newer, 64-bit.
• A GPU/driver supporting Windows Graphics Capture and H.264 encoding.
• This first release is not code-signed. Windows SmartScreen may ask for confirmation; verify that the download came from this Releases page before selecting More info → Run anyway.

Verification

• Fresh Release-mode build completed all 150 steps.
• Clean portable package launched with zero QML/error log entries.
• Archive audit found no captures, clips, databases, logs, workspace files, or private development artifacts.

SHA-256

D8F80200AE98539EABEF63BF5E40E6BCD5FE74B5E29E850E74162A7CF66A17A5  GameHQ-0.5.55-win64.zip