Roadmap · updated 13 Sept 2026 · 0.1 to 1.0
Where Kova is going
Private preview today, with real hardware in daily use. The goal is a premium, managed Linux OS that replaces Windows for gamers, the way Red Hat made Linux dependable for business. Each release is a normal update, you never reinstall.
Status
- Done
Foundation
Build server, package mirror, signed image pipeline, A/B slots with atomic updates, Secure Boot signing, cloud enrollment tunnel.
- Done
0.1 preview
Boots into gaming mode, Hyprland desktop with the Kova rice, GUI installer with full-disk wipe, boot splash, login theme, terminal and fetch rice, Brave, Heroic, Lutris, Roblox.
- Now
0.2 · Public preview
Built for a wider audience: link your Kova Cloud account from the first-boot wizard or
kova login, so your PC appears on your dashboard and the Dev Team can help you over the support tunnel. Custom kernel from the CachyOS patch set, Proton-GE preinstalled, live power modes with GPU power limits, NVIDIA open-module support in the same image, quick menu overlay, in-OS support tickets and chat. - Next
0.3 · Sandbox and Cloud
Disposable Windows VM with GPU passthrough, Kova Cloud dashboard with logs, crash bundles and remote fixes, private log share links, settings sync.
- Next
0.4 · Bench and backup
Kova Bench with the Vulkan city scene, leaderboard behind sign-in, automatic regression runs after updates, backup and migration tool with installer restore.
- Later
0.5 · Emulation, mods, VR
ROM manager with box art in Big Picture, Nexus and Mod Organizer via Proton, Monado and WiVRn for Quest over Wi-Fi.
- Later
0.6 · Handhelds and laptops
Battery-aware power modes and TDP control, hybrid graphics switching, lid and brightness handling, HHD and inputplumber for ROG Ally, Legion Go and Steam Deck, on-screen keyboard and touch in gaming mode, suspend that survives games.
- Later
0.7 · Social and streaming
Discord (Vesktop) reachable from the gaming-mode quick menu with voice overlay, Rich Presence for Heroic, Lutris and emulator games, screenshot and clip gallery synced to Kova Cloud with share links, Sunshine host built in so any Kova PC streams to a TV, phone or laptop over Moonlight.
- Later
0.8 · Quality of life
Per-game profiles applied at launch, shader precompile while idle, idle-time game and OS downloads, storage manager with one-step library drives and S.M.A.R.T. warnings, display helper for HDR and VRR, controller firmware updates, crash reporter with one-click fixes from the dashboard, scheduled backups.
- Later
0.9 · Hardening and polish
Canary and beta channels ahead of stable, smaller delta updates, boot to Steam in under 15 seconds, TPM-backed home encryption, Secure Boot key rotation, first-boot wizard polish, Finnish and English localisation, accessibility pass, complete docs for every command.
- Later
1.0 · Release criteria
Two reference machines (AMD and NVIDIA) run every feature above for 30 days without a rollback. An update path proven from 0.1 all the way up. Bench, Cloud, backup and sandbox each have a documented recovery.
- Launch
Public launch · $50 one-time
Purchase opens on kovaos.org. Lifetime stable updates, Kova Cloud account, managed support, security patches. Preview testers keep their license. Founders and family free. No subscription, ever.
Premium feature backlog
What makes Kova worth paying for: things that make a gamer's life easier every single day. Grouped by area, roughly in build order. Each lands as a normal update.
Play
- Kova Hub overlay: one key in any game for FPS and frametimes, per-app audio mixer, Discord voice, quick browser, capture controls, power mode, brightness, and the compatibility note for the game you are in.
- Game Optimizer: recommended in-game and Proton settings per title for your exact GPU, from a Dev Team curated database, applied with one click. Includes known-good launch options and DXVK/VKD3D tweaks.
- Latency Mode: measured input-to-photon latency, then tuning: frame cap, VRR, tearing, scheduler, CPU pinning. Shows the before and after in numbers.
- Shared shader caches: Kova Cloud distributes pre-compiled shader caches per GPU and driver so first launches don't stutter, before Steam even downloads its own.
- Unified library: Steam, Epic, GOG, Amazon, emulators and Roblox in one Big Picture library with playtime, achievements where available, and "continue playing" across launchers.
- Anti-cheat tracker built in: before you buy, the library tells you whether a game runs on Kova, in the sandbox, or not at all.
- Free-to-play pack: one screen to install the popular free games that work, ready with correct Proton versions.
Capture and share
- Kova Capture: instant replay, highlight detection (kills, wins, deaths via audio and screen cues), clip trimming and one-click upload to a private link.
- Streamer mode: OBS presets for Kova, virtual camera, mic noise suppression, scene switching from the overlay, a "hide notifications and desktop" toggle.
- Screenshot gallery synced to Kova Cloud, with per-game albums and share links.
Hardware
- Controller Studio: remaps, gyro, haptics, deadzones and profiles per game, firmware updates for Xbox, DualSense and 8BitDo.
- Tuning wizards: safe GPU undervolt and overclock, fan curves, CPU curve optimizer, each with a stress test and automatic revert.
- RGB in the quick menu via OpenRGB, with game-reactive presets.
- Display Studio: HDR and VRR set up correctly per monitor, ICC profiles, refresh switching per game, dual-monitor game plus chat layouts.
- Network Mode: bufferbloat fix, game traffic priority, Wi-Fi roaming tuned for gaming, a ping monitor in the overlay.
- Kova Score: hardware health at a glance: temps, throttling, drive wear, RAM errors, with alerts before a drive dies.
- Per-GPU kernels: builds tuned for AMD, NVIDIA and handheld APUs, selected automatically.
Everyday
- Save Vault: cross-launcher save backup to Kova Cloud, restore any version, move saves between PCs.
- Night updates: OS, Proton, shader caches and game updates applied while you sleep, never during a session.
- Phone companion: see what's installed, start a download remotely, wake the PC, get crash and update notifications, browse your clips.
- Kova Link: LAN party mode that pairs Kova PCs for local co-op, shared library cache and voice.
- Dual-boot manager: keep a Windows drive, switch from the boot menu or the overlay, share a games drive between them.
- Reinstall in place: wipe the OS, keep the games and saves, five minutes.
- Rescue mode from the boot menu with the same remote support tunnel.
- Themes store: wallpapers, live wallpapers, rice packs, boot splashes, community submissions curated by the Dev Team.
- Family and time controls: per-user play time limits and content filters, managed from the phone.
- Accessibility: large UI mode, colour filters, screen reader in the desktop, controller-only navigation everywhere.
Support
- One-click fixes pushed from Kova Cloud for known issues, with a changelog of what was changed on your machine.
- Crash autopsy: every crash bundled, matched against known problems, and answered in the overlay with what to do.
- Live help: a support session where the Dev Team sees your screen with your permission, over the same tunnel.
- Security service: firewall on by default, signed everything, sandbox for the untrusted, and alerts if a machine does something it shouldn't.
Changelog
Every release, with what changed, lives on the changelog page.