CrankovoxSupport
Everything you need to get your Playdate onto Apple Vision Pro, and what to try if something isn't working.
Setup
Crankovox is free and comes as two apps from one App Store listing: one for your Mac and one for Vision Pro. Install both from the App Store.
- On your Mac, open Crankovox. If Playdate Mirror is open, quit it first — only one app can use the Playdate at a time.
- Connect your Playdate to the Mac with a USB cable and unlock it. The Mac app shows when it's connected.
- On Vision Pro, open Crankovox and choose Allow when it asks to find devices on your local network. It finds your Mac automatically and the Playdate's screen appears.
- Optional: pair a game controller to Vision Pro (Settings → Bluetooth), not to the Mac.
The Mac app keeps streaming when you close its window. Click its icon in the Dock to bring the window back, or quit the app to stop streaming.
Controls
Use a game controller, a keyboard connected to Vision Pro, or the on-screen controls below the window.
| Playdate | Game controller | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| D-pad | D-pad or left stick | Arrow keys |
| A | A / Cross (bottom button) | X |
| B | B / Circle (right button), or X / Square (left button) | Z |
| Menu | Menu / Options | Esc or Tab |
| Crank | Right stick: rotate it like the crank. R2 / L2: crank forward / back, faster the harder you press. | ] / [ |
The on-screen controls include a crank dial that follows your real crank. Show or hide them with the keyboard button in the bar above the window.
Display & sound
Open the ⋯ menu in the bar above the window to change:
- Upscaling: Smooth Edges softens diagonal stair-steps at full display resolution while keeping dithering and single pixels crisp. Pixel Perfect shows hard, square pixels.
- Palette: Playdate LCD (warm grey), Black & White, or Inverted.
- Sound: turn game audio on or off.
- Connect by Address…: connect to your Mac manually if it isn't found automatically.
Resize the window like any other Vision Pro window — drag its corner to make the screen as big as you like.
The Mac app has two settings of its own: Stream audio, and Open at login so it's always ready when you are.
Troubleshooting
Vision Pro says "Looking for your Mac…"
- Make sure Crankovox is open on your Mac.
- Check that your Mac and Vision Pro are on the same Wi-Fi network. Guest networks and some office networks block devices from seeing each other.
- Make sure local network access is allowed: on Vision Pro, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and turn on Crankovox.
- Still nothing? Use ⋯ → Connect by Address… and enter your Mac's name or IP address (on the Mac: System Settings → Wi-Fi → Details).
The Mac app doesn't see my Playdate
- Unlock the Playdate — it doesn't stream while locked.
- Quit Playdate Mirror and any other app that might be using the Playdate.
- Try a different cable or USB port. Some cables only carry power, not data.
The picture froze for a few seconds
The Playdate briefly disconnects from USB when you switch games. Crankovox waits up to five seconds for it to come back and then carries on, so a short pause is normal.
A game ignores the crank
Some games only respond to crank input while the crank is undocked. Pull the physical crank out of its dock and try again.
My controller doesn't work
Pair the controller to Vision Pro, not your Mac. Its name appears in the bar above the window once it's connected.
No sound
Check that sound is turned on in the ⋯ menu, and that the Vision Pro volume is up.
FAQ
Do I need to get the Mac app separately?
No. The same free download includes the Vision Pro app and the Mac app.
Can more than one Vision Pro watch at once?
Yes. The Mac app can stream to more than one viewer on your network at the same time.
Will Playdate updates break Crankovox?
Crankovox uses the same USB streaming method as Panic's Mirror app. It isn't officially documented, so a future Playdate update could change it. If that happens, we'll work on an update as quickly as we can.
Is Crankovox affiliated with Panic?
No. Crankovox is an independent app and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Panic Inc.
Contact
Still stuck, or have an idea? Email apps@hi.cameron.software. It helps to include your Mac and Vision Pro software versions and what you see on each screen.