Installation

There are two install paths. Pick the one that matches your download.

• Windows Setup  Recommended  : the .exe installer. Bundles Java. Click-and-go.
• Portable install: the .jar (any OS), .exe from the .zip, .dmg, or .app. Requires you to install Java yourself.

Windows Setup

Since 3.2, the Windows installer is the main way to set up SKlauncher. It bundles Java (Temurin), so you don't have to install Java separately or run Setup as administrator. The installer is open source.

Installing

Run the .exe you downloaded and follow the wizard:

1. Select Start Menu Folder: optional, only changes the shortcut path, not where the launcher itself goes.
2. Ready To Install: click Install to proceed, or Back to change the shortcut path.
3. Installing SKlauncher: wait for the progress bar to finish.
4. Completing the SKlauncher 3.2 Setup Wizard: click Finish and you're done.

Running

A desktop shortcut named SKlauncher was created during install. Just launch it.

Done with Setup? Skip to the Common questions. The sections below only apply to portable installs.

Portable install

Use this if you downloaded a .jar, the .exe from the .zip, the .dmg, or the .app. You'll need to install Java yourself.

Java requirements

SKlauncher used to require Java 8 with JavaFX. That's no longer the case: you can now use the latest LTS, currently Java 21.

DANGER

Support for Java 8 with JavaFX will be removed in the future. We recommend Java 21.

Installing Java 21  Recommended

1. Open Adoptium and click Latest LTS Release.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. On the Custom Setup screen, make sure these options are selected:
   • Add to PATH
   • Associate .jar
   • Set JAVA_HOME variable
   • JavaSoft (Oracle) registry key
4. Click Next, then Install.
5. Wait for the installer to finish, then click Finish.

Installing Java 8 with JavaFX

WARNING

Older Java 8 builds may be too out of date to run SKlauncher. Update if you hit issues.

1. Open Liberica JDK 8, scroll down to Windows, click Package, choose Full JDK, and download the MSI.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. On the Custom Setup screen, confirm these are selected (they usually are by default):
   • Add to PATH
   • Associate .jar
   • Set JAVA_HOME variable
   • JavaSoft (Oracle) registry key
4. Click Next, then Install.
5. Wait for it to finish, then click Finish.

Running the portable launcher

You don't need to register to try it, but we recommend skimming the Log in guide before you reach the sign-in screen.

If you didn't skip the Custom Setup screen while installing Java, double-click the .exe or .jar file you downloaded.

Common questions

What's the difference between Setup and Portable?

Before Setup existed, you had to:

• Download and install Java
• Download and start SKlauncher (.exe or .jar)

Setup automates this:

• Java is downloaded (not installed system-wide)
• JavaFX is downloaded (not installed system-wide)
• A shortcut is created that resolves to something like %APPDATA%\sklauncher\jre\bin\javaw.exe -Xmx512M -jar %APPDATA%\sklauncher\SKlauncher.jar

Is Setup a virus? No. It's open source and built from the same GitHub Actions pipeline. Everything in the virus FAQ applies. A trivial change like this dropped VirusTotal detections from 6 to 2; please don't relitigate this every time the .exe is updated.

I have Java X but the game requires Java Y, will it work?

Yes. SKlauncher downloads the game's required Java version itself, so any Java on your machine is fine.

If you want to use a different Java when actually playing (e.g. Java 21 for a 1.16.5 game that ships Java 17), see Can I use a different Java for the game?.

Why do I need Java 8 with JavaFX?

SKlauncher is built on JavaFX, which isn't bundled with vanilla Java 8. You need either Java 8 + JavaFX or Java 21.

Can I avoid installing Java entirely?

Yes, but you'll need to:

1. Use a portable Java distribution:
   • Windows: .zip format
   • Linux / macOS: .tar.gz format
2. Run SKlauncher from the command line: java -jar SKlauncher.jar

INFO

This approach assumes you're comfortable with:

• working directories
• relative vs. absolute paths
• quoting paths that contain spaces

Example for Windows, with the working directory set to Downloads:

"jdk-21.0.5+11\bin\java.exe" -jar SKlauncher.jar

Can I install SKlauncher to a different folder?

Yes. See Can I install SKlauncher in another folder?.

Common issues

TIP

Did you have Java installed before, then install the one from this guide? Or uninstall every Java and now you're about to install the one from this guide?

Restart your PC. It often saves a lot of debugging.

"Temurin 21 is installed, but it says I don't have Java"

You probably skipped the Custom Setup screen. Reinstall Java 21 and follow the Windows steps above carefully.

"Liberica 8 is installed, but it says I don't have Java 8 with JavaFX"

You probably installed Liberica 8 Standard Edition. Reinstall and pick Full JDK at the downloads page.